Solution: Canned pumpkin. For occasional mild tummy upsets, give a teaspoon of pumpkin for every 10 pounds of body weight, one to two times a day, either in food or as a treat. Pumpkin’s soluble fiber can ease diarrhea and constipation.

2. Minor Skin Abrasions, Cuts, Infections or Hot Spots

Solution: Povidone iodine. The gentle Betadine brand can allay staph, yeast and most common bacteria. It’s safe if a pet licks it.

Dilute the povidone iodine until it looks like iced tea, soak a clean cloth and gently wipe infected skin areas. Rinse the cloth, wipe the skin, and then pat dry. Repeat twice daily for a minor issue.

3. Itchy, Irritated Paws

Solution: Footbaths. About 50 percent of a dog’s foot licking and chewing can be alleviated by simply rinsing off allergens and other irritants from its paws. For large dogs, soak one foot at a time in a bucket. Stand small dogs sink or tub or dunk one paw at a time in a small container of solution.

Dilute povidone iodine to the color of iced tea and add to the footbath. Swish it around while the dog stands in it for two to five minutes. Talk soothingly and offer treats as needed.

4. Fleas

Solution: Apple cider vinegar (ACV). It doesn’t kill fleas, but helps keep them off. Put a solution of equal parts raw, organic ACV and water in a spray bottle and spritz the pet before they head outdoors and dog bedding. Consider adding to a dog’s food as well; one teaspoon for every 20 pounds of pooch.

During baths, pour diluted ACV of one cup of vinegar to one gallon of water over a freshly bathed dog (avoid the head) for a flea-preventive rinse. Massage the ACV solution into their coat and towel dry. Don’t rinse. Alternatively, add about two cups of apple cider vinegar to their bathwater.

5. Upset Tummy

Solution: Ginger. Mix either fresh ground ginger or the dried herb into a meatball or other treat. Use one-eight teaspoon for dogs under 10 pounds, one-quarter teaspoon for medium-sized dogs, a half teaspoon for large dogs, and three-quarters to one teaspoon for giant breeds.

Give ginger-infused snacks one to three times a day as needed. Alternatively, add a quarter cup ginger tea per 20 pounds to food daily as needed. To prevent motion sickness, give it at least an hour before traveling.

Bathe the dog, and then rub the oil into the skin all over their body, especially on dry areas. Let it absorb for about five minutes. Follow with another bath (not much lather) and a very light rinse. Also, dab it directly on hotspots, eruptions and rashes after disinfecting.

7. Skunk Encounter

Solution: Skunk rinse. In a pail, mix one quart of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, one-quarter cup baking soda and two teaspoons dishwashing liquid. For a large dog, double, triple or quadruple the mixture, based on their size and coat.

Apply the mixture to the dog’s dry coat, taking care to avoid the eyes. Massage the mixture into the coat and skin for about five minutes or until the skunk smell starts to dissipate. Use a sponge to apply the solution to the chin, cheeks, forehead and ears. Rinse thoroughly. When rinsing the head, tilt the dog’s chin upward to protect the eyes. It may be necessary to repeat the entire process up to three times. Rinse off the solution completely.

8. Toxin Ingestion

Solution: Hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Use 3 percent hydrogen peroxide and give one teaspoon for every 10 pounds of dog weight. Add a little vanilla ice cream or honey to encourage swallowing or simply syringe it down their throat if necessary.

Walk the dog for a few minutes—movement helps the hydrogen peroxide work—which typically occurs within 15 minutes. If the dog doesn’t vomit in 15 minutes, give a second dose. If after another 15 minutes they still haven’t vomited, call a veterinarian.

Don’t induce vomiting if the dog is throwing up already; has lost consciousness or can’t stand; or it’s been more than two hours since they ingested the toxin. Harsh chemicals can cause burning both as they are swallowed and come back up. For these problems, seek veterinary care immediately.

While kids may list movies, video games, music downloads and other media featuring their favorite athlete, actor or music star as priority holiday gifts, books will expand their thoughts, curiosity and dreams by exposing them to a different set of role models and aspirations.

Reading takes kids away from tech screens and expands horizons in ways that can improve their school grades, maturity and overall inquisitiveness. Many wise-hearted parents are recognizing the benefits, as children’s book sales were up 5 percent in the 12-month period ending in mid-October 2016, according to the American Booksellers Association. Humor, fantasy and magic, classics, nonfiction, time travel and participatory activities rank among the most popular topics.

Award-Winners’ Advice

“Children can’t be what they can’t see,” says author Laurie Lawlor, of Evanston, Illinois. Her 2017 book Super Women: Six Scientists that Changed the World—a nonfiction account designed to excite kids 8 and up about math, science and engineering—cultivates positive role models via inspirational personal stories. She points out that most of those depicted were not that well known, and therefore can be emulated and more readily related to.

One of these is Katherine Coleman Johnson, a black National Aeronautics and Space Administration research mathematician and physicist, portrayed in the recent film Hidden Figures. Marine scientist Eugenie Clark, known as the “Shark Lady” for her daring underwater research, and major pioneers in cartography, archaeology and other fields also stir inquiring minds.

“I wanted to provide a variety of fields, backgrounds and ethnicities,” remarks Lawlor. “They were all determined, very smart and persistent, and made strides in opening doors for women.” Lawlor’s 2012 children’s book Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed The World described how Carson’s seminal 1962 book Silent Spring helped spawn the conservation and pro-environment movement by chronicling the dangers of pollution.

Children’s fascination with nature and wildlife can also be met through the Dog and Bear series by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, out of Long Island, New York, and Vermonter Jim Arnosky’s scientifically sound wildlife chronicles (JimArnosky.com).

Kelly Barnhill, of Minneapolis, whose latest work is The Girl Who Drank the Moon, characterizes children as quiet, yet highly active when reading. “They are encountering characters and then building, inserting themselves and more information into the stories, making it more relevant to them,” she says.

The former middle school language arts teacher advocates parental reading aloud with children. “Make it a daily practice of turning to a separate book from what they may be reading on their own. You’re helping them develop cognitive structure by reinforcing and explaining. It’s a shared lens on life.”

Cultivate Reading

Know the child’s interests. “If they like horses or birds, you’re certain to find great related books,” advises Lawlor.

Lead by example. “Seeing you reading or gardening or making things invites them to learn more about what they like,” says Lawlor.

Be flexible and share. There’s no clear-cut time to transition from reading aloud to having a child do it on their own. Try taking turns reading a paragraph and then a page with them. “Women tend to read more than men, so get Dad involved as well,” says Barnhill.

Access quantity. “Make many books available to kids,” advises Barnhill. “They’ll enjoy having a choice.” Thrift stores are stocked with heavily discounted used books.

Empower them. The interactive, hands-on format of Ellen Sabin’s new The Imagine ItBook allows children to “dive in and see how they can make an impact, be innovative, play, fail and then succeed,” says the award-winning author. “Make them feel like they are ‘driving the bus.’”

Welcoming diversity and providing a safe and reassuring community space for both confident and vulnerable youngsters, the American Library Association (ala.org) provides libraries with positive, unifying resources for children and families. They include a Storytime for Social Justice Kit; booklist for Hope and Inspiration storytime events; resource list on Talking to Kids about Racism and Justice for parents, caregivers and educators; and curated media list on immigration.

The Barnes & Noble bookseller groups selected children’s books—including classics such as Dr. Seuss titles, poetry, nature, sports, history and science—in five age categories from newborn through teenage years.

“It’s an amazing era for children’s books,” assesses Barnhill. “The success of the Harry Potter series reminded people that kids like real stories. There’s been a boom in creativity, vigor and technical skills in story construction.”

Freelance writer and editor Randy Kambic, in Estero, FL, is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings.

Books Expand Kids’ Horizons

Launched in April, Reading Without Walls (ReadingWithoutWalls.com) is a national initiative celebrating and encouraging reading, diversity and appreciation for those unlike ourselves. “We feel that this will change lives,” says Shaina Birkhead, strategic partnerships director with the Children’s Book Council, one of the program’s partner organizations.

Under the program umbrella, libraries, bookshops, teachers, community youth groups and parents can host “challenge” events. An online guide includes tips on setting up displays and props; fun crafts and drawing activities; how to talk about reading; writing and design contests, word games and puzzles; and bookmark prizes.

“Reading opens up minds and hearts to new people, places and things,” says Gene Luen Yang, a national ambassador of the program and author of the youthful tale American Born Chinese.

It’s uncertain times for home-based geothermal heating and cooling, which has been trending upward for years. The good news is that the cost of the technology is down and its efficiency is up. Yet a helpful 30 percent federal income tax credit inaugurated in 2009 disappeared in 2017 and may not get renewed anytime soon, even though H.R. 1090, a bill aimed at restoring to restore the credit, has strong support in Congress, led by New York Republican Congressman Tom Reed.

While ideal spots for tapping into Earth’s energy are where tectonic plates meet and move, such as along the U.S. West Coast and in Alaska, it’s a misperception that it’s only possible in corresponding states. Anyone in the U.S. can use a geothermal heat pump, which works by accessing the constant 50-degree temperature just below the Earth’s surface.

Iceland is equipped to get 50 percent of its energy from geothermal. Other countries now accessing it for at least 15 percent of their energy include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Kenya and the Philippines.

How It Works

The systems work by moving water through plastic pipes sunk into the ground, and using a heat exchanger to warm or cool refrigerant that then circulates through the house. Operating like a conventional heat pump, it needs less than half as much energy—just one kilowatt-hour of electricity—to produce 12,000 BTU (British thermal units, a standard energy measure). Its efficiency is double that of the best air conditioner and 50 percent superior to the best natural gas furnace, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Planet-friendly geothermal energy emits no pollution and reduces the need for fossil fuels.

Return on Investment

While they can cost $20,000 to $25,000 for an average-sized home, the systems are long-lasting; most provide a 10-year or longer warranty based on having few moving parts that may break. The above-ground compressor and pump have a 20-year life expectancy and the expensive underground piping system should last a lifetime, says Brian Clark Howard, a National Geographic editor and co-author of Geothermal HVAC [heating, ventilation and air conditioning]. “Once the wells are dug and the loops are in, you’ll probably never have to revisit them.”

According to Ryan Dougherty, chief operating officer of the Geothermal Exchange Organization, which represents manufacturers and installers, a typical home system costs approximately $24,000 installed, including the ground heat exchanger and all necessary ductwork.

Renewable energy often makes sense without subsidies. Dougherty still sees geothermal as a good deal for homeowners, with a payback period of seven to 10 years.

Dale Binkley of Landenberg, Pennsylvania, installed his home’s geothermal heat pump in 2006, before the 30 percent federal tax credit took effect. His out-of-pocket cost was $23,522, with a small federal credit and modest rebate from the local utility.

Binkley is pleased. “The system is easy to maintain, cost efficient, and works well. It heats and cools better than I thought it would,” he says. Binkley saved $1,000 on his heating and cooling bill the first year, a savings he continues to enjoy every year.

Lissa Rankin wears many hats: physician, mystic, author, artist, speaker and blogger. What unites her many pursuits is a passion for helping people optimize their health and understand how science and spirituality converge toward that goal.

A former obstetrician and gynecologist, Rankin is the founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute, in San Francisco, which trains doctors in mind-body-spirit medicine. She’s authored six books to date, including the bestseller Mind over Medicine, The Fear Cure and The Anatomy of a Calling. She lives in California’s Marin County and blogs at LissaRankin.com.

What common signs indicate that fear is affecting our health?

When people are sick, there is almost always an element of fear. Many of us have “ridden shotgun” at one time or another with a health diagnosis, and that’s scary, so even if it’s not predisposing the illness itself, it can stimulate fear. Studies from institutions such as Studies from institutions such as the Harvard School of Public Health and Carnegie Mellon University have discovered strong correlations between fear, stress and anxiety and health issues. When fear is predisposing us to illness, addressing the root cause of the issue is preventive medicine.

Whether triggered by something trivial or real, fear activates the “fight-or-flight” stress response in the brain. The body has natural self-healing mechanisms, but these only operate when we our nervous system is relaxed, so effectively dealing with fear is foundationally critical to wellness.

How can we distinguish between true and false fear?

True fear is an actual threat to physical survival, like being approached by someone wielding a gun. However, most fear is generated by a story we make up in our minds. Our wild imaginations, the source of beautiful creativity, can be a destructive force too, as we envision all kinds of worst-case scenarios, most of which will not come true.

Modern humans average more than 50 stress responses a day, which indicates we’re way off track in our relationship to fear. The mind constantly strategizes how to get what it wants and avoid what it doesn’t. A spiritual practice can help interrupt the “monkey mind” constantly ruminating on what could go wrong.

Paying attention to fear around practical issues like not being able to pay bills is helpful because it can keep us from being reckless, such as buying an unneeded luxury item although our mortgage payment looms. But letting false fear prevent us from following a dream, ending an unhealthy relationship, or leaving a toxic job can predispose us to illness. Fear is the emotional equivalent of pain in the body. Attend to it when it arises; try to understand what it is telling you and see what’s in need of healing.

What are some effective ways to defang false fear?

Ultimately, we need to come into right relationship with uncertainty; it’s the gateway to possibility. People often think that fear provides protection, when our intuition, which typically requires a relaxed state of mind, is a far more effective protector. There have been studies about doctors following their hunches to a patient’s underlying condition, leading to life-saving diagnoses.

How can we cultivate courage, curiosity and resilience, rather than feed our fears?

Cultivating a spiritual practice such as mindfulness helps put a pause between a feeling like fear and the reaction that might ensue. You learn to sit with uncomfortable feelings and recognize the story you are spinning in your mind about what’s happening. It also means letting go of expectations when things don’t go as planned.

Fear is my cue to activate a practice of surrender; to turn something over to the universe. I will also ask for help to calm my heart and let go of attachments. For me, this life-changing practice means I now trust the mystery more than my mind. I trust the unknown more than science and logic. The latter may be useful tools when doing taxes or a research paper, but I don’t trust them to be the best navigation system of my life or help me in crisis.

Psychology isn’t enough to address fear, which comes with the territory if you think that we are just flesh robots programmed to maximize self-interest, alone in a hostile universe. Once you learn to see the possibilities and hand over the wheel to a greater, benign organizing intelligence, something unwinds in the nervous system and we relax into the wonder of mystery.

Thanksgiving inspires a season of appreciation for what sustains and gives meaning to life.

Share Good Food

“I think true sustenance is when our hunger for connection and belonging meet,” says Sarah Ban Breathnach, the Los Angeles author of The Simple Abundance Journal of Gratitude. “When my daughter was small, we would purchase a complete Thanksgiving dinner for the local food pantry when we shopped for our own, saying, ‘One for us, one for them.’”

Nourishment of our emotional and spiritual selves often begins with choosing simple, whole food. Rocco DiSpirito, a New York City celebrity chef and author of Rocco’s Healthy + Delicious, reminds us, “Eat real food! Return to the basics of eating what’s produced by Mother Nature. You’ll become a better partner, parent and person.” Cooking is more enjoyable when shared; beyond partaking together, partnering in meal preparation is a fun way to nurture bonds with others any time of the year.

Share Life’s Happiness

Common interests lessen the chasm between our to-do lists and nurturing camaraderie. Anna Maria Caldara, of Bangor, Pennsylvania, has opened her doors for intimate community events through the years. “My former home, a converted church, was a perfect space for organizing and a way to give back,” says Caldara, who has hosted gatherings on local environmental issues, music performances, literary nights and annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations.

Small living spaces can be just as welcoming and facilitate simple conversation, a valuable gesture. “The art of listening is such a beautiful, but rare act of kindness. I love technology, but there’s no denying that our devices have made us poor listeners,” says Michael J. Chase, of southern Maine, the founder of The Kindness Center, whose books include Am I Being Kind and Off: A Memoir of Darkness, a Manual of Hope. Each month, Chase makes it a point to visit friends and send some handwritten notes instead of using social media.

Practice Kindness

Sharing our time or talent will be remembered long after the holiday feasting. Author Nicole J. Phillips, of Athens, Ohio, author of Kindness is Contagious, observes, “We are literally created to be kind; it’s well known that feel-good endorphins are released when we do an act of kindness. I think we often hold back because we predetermine that our resources are limited. Know your talents and gifts, and build your acts of kindness accordingly.”

Retreat centers vary from nondenominational to those aligned with a faith, but even within a tradition, styles of meditation vary. The following opportunities highlight some of the more prevalent offerings. RetreatFinder.com and RetreatsOnline.com can be helpful tools.

Omega Institute: One of the largest centers on the East Coast, the Omega Institute (eOmega.org), in Rhinebeck, New York, offers yoga, meditation and mindfulness retreats led by notable and varied spiritual teachers.

Tassajara Zen Mountain Center: A working monastery for more than 50 years, Tassajara Zen Mountain Center and Hot Springs (sfzc.org/tassajara), in the Ventana Mountains of northern California, offers lay meditation practitioners a sense of monastic life each summer. Retreats are mainly taught in the Zen Buddhist tradition, focused on observing the breath and mind.

Insight Meditation Society: Founded by Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein in the 1970s, the Insight Meditation Society (Dharma.org) focuses on the Buddhist practices of metta (spreading lovingkindness) and vipassana (insight) meditation. Silent retreats at its historic center in Barre, Massachusetts, range from two days to three months.

Jesuits: A Roman Catholic order cofounded by St. Ignatius, the Jesuit tradition incorporates prayer, meditation, self-awareness and other contemplative practices. Jesuits.org/retreat-centers lists Jesuit retreat centers across the U.S. where seekers can deepen their relationship with God through silence.

“Retreats are a special opportunity to enter a healing space where your natural energy, insight, intelligence and wisdom can arise,” says Thanissara, a former Buddhist nun, cofounder of South Africa’s Dharmgiri Hermitage and Outreach and a retreat leader at Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Center, in Woodacre, California.

Sheila Russ, of Richmond, Virginia, has participated in several retreats with silent components, hosted by spiritual traditions spanning Baptist to St. Benedictine. “People of different faiths all have the same need to reach inside and listen. If we don’t slow down and get quiet, we can’t hear what’s going on with us,” says Russ. “Spending time in contemplation is cleansing and freeing; I feel like mentally and spiritually I can breathe.”

Scientific Support

Attaining heightened well-being after a retreat may have a neurological basis, according to research from Thomas Jefferson University’s Marcus Institute of Integrative Health, in Philadelphia. Silent retreats appear to raise the brain’s levels of mood-boosting chemicals, according to Dr. Andrew Newberg, director of research there.

Newberg’s team tested the brains of retreat participants before and one week after an Ignatian-based retreat, finding significant changes in their serotonin and dopamine systems. “Whether through prayers, walks or meditations, the single-minded ritualistic aspect of retreats seems to predispose the brain for peak spiritual experience,” he observes.

What to Expect

Formats vary, but most silent retreats entail extended periods of sitting meditation or prayer, often alternating with walking meditation or other mindful movement. Some may also entail a work detail, like sweeping the meditation hall or helping prepare meals.

“Work tasks help bring mindfulness into everyday life,” says Chas DiCapua, a resident teacher for the Insight Meditation Society’s flagship retreat center in Barre, Massachusetts, who has led silent retreats teaching Buddhist practices for 20 years. “The community aspect is equally important; being surrounded by people that support your spiritual practice can encourage you on what can be a lonely path.”

Silence doesn’t mean being static and somber, or not thinking, counsels David Harshada Wagner, of Ojai, California, whose meditation retreats draw from the Indian mystical traditions of yoga, vedanta and tantra. “Silence is more than the absence of talking; it’s a powerful energy,” says Wagner. “Silent retreats are the loudest, as the energy is roaring within. It should be a joyous practice.”

Yet retreats aren’t a cakewalk. Los Angeles author and mindfulness facilitator Jennifer Howd chronicles the challenges of her first nine-day silent retreat in Joshua Tree, California, in her memoir Sit, Walk, Don’t Talk. Seven retreats later, Howd says that though the journey isn’t always easy, she always gains insights about herself and the nature of the mind.

Choosing a Retreat

Retreat leaders caution that while it’s good to jettison expectations and approach the experience with an open mind, choose a retreat that fits individual needs. The level of personal attention at retreats can vary greatly, remarks Thanissara. “Some may host 100 or more people, relying largely on taped instruction without much interaction with group leaders. A small group might be a better for a first retreat,” she suggests.

Thanissara recommends an upfront review of instructor credentials and starting with a weekend retreat before embarking on one of a longer duration. Regardless of length, retreats aren’t always for everyone. “If you’re going through emotional or psychological difficulties, it’s best to discuss your circumstances with a teacher at the retreat center before deciding to attend. If you’re in therapy, talk with your therapist,” counsels DiCapua.

Retreat Back to Everyday Life

Afterwards, ease back into the daily routine, trying not to rush back into old patterns of media and food consumption, recommends Howd. “Try to build in a day or two of down time. You may still be processing things emotionally.”

DiCapua suggests finding a local community of a kindred practice to keep the momentum going and not expecting to keep it up as earnestly at home as at the retreat. Attending daylong maintenance retreats on Saturdays or Sundays can also help sustain individual practice. Above all, “Appreciate yourself for having thought to go on a retreat and follow it through,” says DiCapua. “It can be a radical thing.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

[optional pull quotes]

I came to the silent retreat tired and worn out. After basking in the stillness—in the lovely setting with the variety of quieting activities—I sprang back to energy and life.

~ Unity retreat feedback

The deliberate, conscientious practices of my first silent retreat made me appreciate each moment: the gifts, blessings, music, stretching, meditation, prayers and practice of stillness.

~ Unity retreat feedback

After the silent retreat, blocks were cleared and I am now present to things in a way I’ve never been before.

More health practitioners today are recognizing both the mind-body connection and energetic and metaphysical insights into preventing and reversing illnesses. As a result, those facing diabetes and other health challenges are accessing contemporary resources such as Louise L. Hay’s explanation of the emotional roots of disease in You Can Heal Your Life, and the medical science and natural methods explained by health researcher and author Gary Null, Ph.D., in No More Diabetes: A Complete Guide to Preventing, Treating, and Overcoming Diabetes.

Applying a “both” rather than an “either” approach illuminates the importance of recognizing the ways that our thoughts, emotions and lifestyle choices can impact chronic illness and long-term health.

Two Perspectives

Hay suggests that this metabolic disorder may be rooted in an individual’s feeling of being deprived of life’s sweetness and longing for what might have been, accompanied by a great need to control deep sorrow. Such dis-ease can show up as Type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes; Type 2, or non-insulin dependent diabetes; latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA), a slowly progressing variation of Type 1; or gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy.

Eavesdropping on our repetitive inner mind chatter and observing its impact on outer experiences can reveal faulty thinking that disrupts the mind-body connection. Hay, a firm believer in the power of affirmations to send a message to the subconscious mind, recommends these to aid healing. For diabetes, she suggests, “This moment is filled with joy. I now choose to experience the sweetness of today.”

Null cites medical evidence that explains how the physical causes of diabetes are related to the pancreas’ production of the insulin hormone and the body’s use of it, together with rollercoaster blood sugar levels determined by food selections, stress, sleeplessness, insufficient rest and lack of exercise. His approach for preventing, reversing or managing this debilitating condition is to raise awareness of the physical, behavioral and mental causes that lead to its emergence, and making healthy lifestyle choices that regulate blood sugar levels.

Naturally Control Blood Sugar

Glucose, the human body’s key source of energy, is a simple sugar produced when the liver processes carbohydrates, protein and fat, and is stored there. Glucose also supplies energy for the brain. Normal blood glucose levels vary throughout the day. For healthy individuals, a fasting blood sugar level upon awakening is less than 100 milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dl) of blood. Before meals, normal levels are 70 to 99 mg/dl; otherwise, 100 to 125. Consistent readings above 126 indicate that lifestyle changes are needed to avoid eventual progression into full Type 2 diabetes.

When there’s an inability to efficiently incorporate glucose from the blood into cells, glucose stays in the blood and cells don’t receive the energy they need to function properly. “Rollercoaster sugar levels irritate nerves and weaken the lining of blood vessels. Fluctuations cause insulin levels to spike, stress the pancreas and cause sugar crashes, called hypoglycemia, which can lead individuals to make impulsive, poor food choices,” advises Marcy Kirshenbaum, a board-certified clinical nutritionist and owner of Enhance Nutrition, in Northbrook, Illinois.

She notes, “Fluctuating sugar levels also raise triglycerides, a fat that circulates in the blood, and cholesterol. Both triglycerides and cholesterol are an important measures of heart health. An excess of more than 150 mg/dl in fasting blood can heighten risk of a stroke or heart attack.”

Early Heads-Up

According to the American Diabetes Association, 8.1 million of the 29.1 million individuals diagnosed with diabetes were previously unaware of any early symptoms such as dry mouth, excessive thirst, frequent urination, constant hunger (even after meals), unusual weight gain or loss and lack of energy. “Many individuals only learn of their condition from a doctor-ordered routine blood test such as the A1C glycated hemoglobin procedure, which reads blood sugar levels over a three-month period,” advises Dr. Nancy Iankowitz, a board-certified family nurse practitioner and founding director of Holistic and Integrative Healing, in Holmes, New York.

Individuals that consume large amounts of simple carbohydrates and sugars, are overweight or are exceedingly sedentary and eat unhealthy processed foods, have higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

Making the highest-impact food choices is critical in the earliest stages of diabetes. That’s why nutritionist and holistic integrative health practitioner Saskia Kleinert, an independent practitioner who also serves as director of the Emeryville Health & Wellness Center, in California, helps patients integrate dietary changes into everyday life.

“Patient education includes the necessity of eating low-glycemic index foods and reducing blood glucose levels, while increasing healthy fats such as nuts, avocado and olive oil,” advises Kleinert. She notes that antioxidant-rich plant foods are another key component of an effective dietary plan for all age groups.

The role of exercise is also vital for those needing to reverse pre-diabetes or managing diabetes aided by insulin. “Exercise increases the muscle cell’s demand for glucose, moving it out of the blood, and so lowering insulin levels,” explains Jamie Coughlan, a naturopathic doctor who practices in Pleasanton and Pleasant Hill, California.

Dr. Angelo Baccellieri, owner of Westchester Wellness Medicine, with locations in Harrison and Mount Vernon, New York, introduces patients to intermittent fasting, an eating pattern that helps preempt insulin resistance and control blood sugar. “The concept depends on going 14 to 16 hours without food, replicating how our long-ago ancestors ate. They feasted when food was available and fasted during famines, sometimes going several days without eating,” advises Baccellieri, who notes that intermittent fasting can be done once a week.

“Our biochemistry actually does very well with this approach, which isn’t hard to do when your last meal is at 7 p.m. and you skip breakfast and delay lunch the next day until 1 p.m. You can drink water with lemon, teas and black coffee throughout. By 1 p.m., the body has been 18 hours without protein and carbohydrates. Insulin levels haven’t gone up and the body is burning fat for fuel,” explains Baccellieri.

Herbs such as turmeric reduce inflammation. Berberine can help cells use glucose efficiently. Supplements such as vitamin C, B-complex, resveratrol and pycnogenol (pine bark extract) can raise antioxidant levels, in which most pre-diabetic and diabetic individuals are deficient, according to [SOURCE?]. Cautious health professionals tailor supplement recommendations to each patient.

Helpful Weight Loss

In The Diabetes Breakthrough, based on a scientifically tested way to reverse diabetes through weight loss, Dr. Osama Hamdy and Sheri R. Colberg, Ph.D., explain a home-based version of the 12-week Why WAIT (Weight Achievement and Intensive Treatment) program. It claims a track record of 82 percent of participants reaching all their weight and blood glucose goals, along with improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, liver and kidney function.

The program incorporates the Joslin Nutrition Guidelines, initially developed by Hamdy and his team and offered onsite through the Joslin Diabetes Center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, in Boston. The program’s success is due to doable increases in exercising that puts greater emphasis on strengthening muscles; effective ways to change bad habits; the key to portion control; healthy alternatives to favorite foods; carbohydrate counting; and meals composed of the right balance of complex carbohydrates and antioxidant-rich plant foods, protein and fat, all to achieve optimum body weight and diabetes control.

No Quick Fix

Restoration of health begins with the most important lifestyle changes. They include:

Replace processed and sugary foods in meals and snacks with nutrient-dense, whole foods.

Determine possible food sensitivities with an elimination diet.

Eat some protein with every meal.

Eliminate environmental toxins.

Perform some form of cardiovascular exercise and resistance training at least three to five times a week.

Add stress-relieving practices such as yoga, tai chi or qigong.

According to Hamdy, “On average, diabetes has the potential to rob you of more than 12 years of life, while dramatically reducing the quality of life for more than 20 years through chronic pain, loss of mobility, blindness, chronic dialysis and heart disease.” Such serious consequences also include stroke, hearing impairment and Alzheimer’s.

All provide good reasons to live responsibly every day, cherishing long-term goals of laying claim to the best possible health.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

What it is: Hold a stretch in a challenging, but not painful position for 10 to 30 seconds until feeling discomfort; once this is felt, the muscle then releases and relaxes.

Benefit: Improves flexibility.

Active (aka Static Active)

What it is: Engage and contract the muscle group opposite the one being stretched to initiate the stretch; repeat. Many yoga poses are examples of active stretching.

Benefit: Increases flexibility in the muscles being stretched and increases strength in the opposing muscles.

Passive

What it is: Employs an outside force such as a stretching device, strap or another’s body weight such as a trainer, physical therapist or massage therapist, which assists the stretch while the individual remains passive. The targeted muscles are not actively engaged. Examples include post-workout stretches applying pressure with a body part, towel or other prop or piece of equipment.

Whether working out at the gym or taking to the trails, stretching is sometimes an overlooked asset to any exercise regimen. Eliminating stretches or not doing them properly increases the risk of injury and deprives muscles of what they need for optimum performance.

“Just because you are in shape doesn’t always mean you have good flexibility,” notes LaReine Chabut, a Los Angeles fitness expert and author of Stretching for Dummies. “If you do plenty of strength training and cardio, but you don’t do any stretching, you’re creating an imbalance in your body. Flexibility plays a big part in overall fitness.”

Loosening up correctly not only fosters flexibility, but also improves muscle endurance and coordination. “Everyone should be stretching, especially as you age, to maintain range of motion and balance,” advises fitness trainer Ben Wegman, of The Fhitting Room, in New York City. “A personal workout regime can be enhanced with stretching, which also increases mobility, improves posture and performance and reduces stress levels.”

Four Categories, Many Variations

“Different types of stretches access different muscles and different types of flexibility, but together, can benefit everyone,” says Wegman. There are many ways to stretch, but knowing what to do and when to do it can be key to optimum results and injury prevention.

Warming up to different types of stretches can be a little daunting, but the basic four (sometimes combined in terminology) are passive, static, active and dynamic. In the past, ballistic stretching was common and included potentially harmful bouncing techniques, but today dynamic stretching has become a favorite among trainers, consisting of specific, controlled movements that prepare the body for the demands of both engaging in sports and an average workout.

“Stretches can be confusing, so as a rule of thumb, I suggest dynamic stretching for any workout that involves movement and passive stretching for cooling down after a workout to release the muscles,” says Chabut.

Stretching also plays an important role in yoga, which generally complements different stretches by adding a mind-body connection. “Breath is the key difference between yoga and regular stretching,” notes Chabut. “The use of breath allows you to get deeper into the muscle. Yoga also places particular emphasis on core muscles: the abdominals, lower back and spinal muscles. Through focus and deep breathing, yoga allows you to move beyond stretching into a deeper physical experience that both strengthens and focuses your body.”

Injury Prevention and Recovery

Nancy Whelan, a physical therapist and owner of The Physical Therapy Center, in West Palm Beach, Florida, emphasizes the importance of proper technique for clients to avoid further injury, especially individuals with a torn Achilles tendon. “Stretching is important when doing any exercise, and especially important following surgery or injury, because the body’s reaction to either one is to contract, which can cause secondary problems,” explains Whelan.

“I think the body has an intelligence we must listen to. We must acknowledge our limitations and the signals our body sends us to let us know that something is harmful or painful,” she continues. “When you take responsibility to take care of your body, it will take care of you.”

For injury prevention, dynamic stretching offers many benefits. “It’s the best because it ensures that all major joints have full range of motion and sufficient muscle length,” says Wegman. She counsels never to stretch an injured muscle or stretch too forcefully. “Introduce low-intensity stretching back into a regime only under a doctor’s supervision,” she cautions.

Daily Moderation

For Chabut, moderation is everything. “Gently warm up the body before moving into deeper stretches. Build heat in the muscles slowly to avoid potential injury,” she advises.

Proper stretching is beneficial; not doing so can foster bad habits and cause muscle or tendon tears. “Stretching cold muscles or using improper techniques such as bouncing when holding a stretch position are common mistakes,” observes Whelan.

Stretching doesn’t have to be reserved for workouts, and with a little discipline, its benefits can easily be attained at home or the office. “Take 10 minutes during your favorite TV program and perform a couple of stretches,” suggests Wegman. “Make it a point to get up every half-hour and stretch for five minutes before resuming work. If you aren’t being pushed or pushing yourself, you won’t see results or make improvements. If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”

Marlaina Donato is a freelance writer, author and multimedia artist. Connect at MarlainaDonato.com.

Thanksgiving side dishes continue to evolve, even though traditional entrées still hold pride of place. New, lighter, alternatives to time-honored stuffing maximize flavorful dried fruits, herbs and nuts. Healthy options may use gluten-free bread or black rice, cauliflower, chestnuts or pecans for flavor, bulk and color. A stuffing can also fill a halved acorn squash or cored apple.

According to renowned authority Dr. Joseph Mercola, pecans contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals, including anti-inflammatory magnesium, heart-healthy oleic acid, phenolic antioxidants and immune-boosting manganese. Erica Kannall, a registered dietitian in Spokane and a certified health and fitness specialist with the American College of Sports Medicine, likes dried fruits because they contribute antioxidants and fiber.

Intriguing Options

Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, of New York City, salutes his Italian heritage with chestnuts and embraces healthy living with millet and mushrooms in his special stuffing. His new book Rocco’s Healthy + Delicious includes healthy takes on Thanksgiving dishes such as a sugar-free cranberry sauce.

Sonnet Lauberth, a certified holistic health coach, blogger and cookbook author in Seattle, created a healthy stuffing she loves. “My Grain-Free Sage and Pecan Dressing is one of my favorite dishes to bring to gatherings because it works with a variety of diets,” she says. “It’s gluten-, dairy- and grain-free, paleo and vegan. The pecans can be omitted for a nut-free version.” Riced cauliflower is the base, which is available prepackaged at some groceries, but can be made at home simply by chopping the florets into rice-kernel-size pieces. “Cauliflower is the perfect base for this recipe as it adds a nice texture in place of bread and provides extra fiber,” she says.

Laurie Gauguin, a personal chef in the San Francisco Bay area, specializes in gluten-free dishes that she prepares in clients’ homes. “Anything that will hold its shape and not crumble too much can work as a stuffing base,” she says. “Gluten-free, somewhat sticky grains, like short grain brown rice, Chinese black rice, millet or soft-cooked quinoa work well.”

“Choose a mixture that contrasts with the texture and color of the food you’re stuffing,” advises Gauguin. “I created a stuffing that has crunchy pecans, tender black rice and chewy, dried cranberries to contrast with the creaminess of the cored squash entrée. The black rice looks striking against the golden squash.”

A stuffing that everyone can eat is ideal for a holiday gathering, either to serve or bring. Lauberth observes, “While not always possible, it’s nice if the host can accommodate various dietary concerns and preferences. Bring your own hearty side dish or two so that you have enough to make a meal for yourself if needed.”

]]>Sat, 18 Nov 2017 07:26:42 -0800http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_86990_what_can_a_life_coach_do_for_you.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_86990_what_can_a_life_coach_do_for_you.htmlWhat can a Life Coach do for you?

As Hurricane Harvey ripped through our beautiful city, many of us watched in devastation as we lost everything we owned. Others of us were luckier. We all witnessed in heartbreak the loss of so many properties of our neighbors, friends, relatives, and fellow Houstonians. This was so hard. Hurricane Harvey was a life altering event for everyone in this city. In the aftermath, many are grappling with how to make sense of all this.

This disaster may have shaken up some deeper questions for you, such as… Why me? What if that was me? Why is this happening? Is there more to life than this? All of these things we’ve accumulated, cherished, and utilized over time are covered in water. What is left after this? Where do I begin again? Wondering about these deeper questions is natural. Humans have a tendency to seek for deeper meaning as life goes along its merry path and the unexpected throws a wrench in our plans.

This brings to mind the value of working with a life coach. People don’t often walk around saying, “I need to find a life coach.” This is something that is rather elusive unless you know a friend or family member who has worked with one and made big strides in their life. However, when you know that a life coach is available to you, then the possibilities are endless. At this point you may be asking, “What exactly is a Life Coach?”

Great question.

I am a professional Life Coach. A life coach supports clients in examining their lives, looking deeper behind the natural wants and needs of everyday life, questions what it is you really want, and supports you in getting from your current island to your dream island. Your heart is your compass in life. Which direction is it pointing? Do you believe this dream can actually happen for you? You better believe it - it is for you. You wouldn’t dream it or envision it in your mind’s eye if it weren’t possible.

If you are looking for more in life such as meaning in your work, fulfilling relationships, deeper connection to a higher purpose, happier family, wealthier financial life, spiritual guidance, or even a simpler routine with space to do what you enjoy, then a life coach is for you. If you are reading this article, this is exactly where you need to be. There are no accidents or coincidences.

You could use a life coach when…

You are going through a major life transition.

You’re stagnant and feel like life is cruising by.

Feel unfulfilled in your work.

You want more out of life - you find yourself asking, “Is this it?”

You want to thrive in life.

You want to reach big goals.

You want help making your dreams a reality.

You need someone to listen and empower you to use your own resources.

You desire better communication.

You want more money and promotions.

You feel lost and directionless in your life path.

You keep running into dead ends with jobs.

You desire to be more present and stop the negative chatter in your head.

You want to leave a job or start your own business.

You want to pursue a passion project.

You desire to be a better role model for your kids, or a better husband or wife.

Ultimately, you may ask, what is my outcome going to be? Here are some things you may experience after working with a life coach…

Gushing with extreme joy and elation.

Uncontrollable smiling.

Bruises from pinching yourself that this is your life now.

Massive excitement for your work.

Deeper love for yourself and your family.

Sense of empowerment.

A clear roadmap to reach your goals.

Confidence to take action.

Living life more boldly.

Your family and friends wondering what the heck happened (in a positive way).

Attracting the relationship of your dreams.

Skipping to the bank with more money you created.

And many more awesome side effects.

If you are interested in how coaching can work for you, fantastic! Let’s talk.

In a busy world like today, it’s hard to even think about squeezing time in to just relax and not do anything… much less considering time spent in a quiet environment to practice silence. Could you imagine not talking for extended long hours at a time? Why would anyone want to do that? Here’s the little secret we would like to share.

For a long time, the founder and Awake teacher at Universal Door Meditation Center, Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien, has known the benefits of silent retreats and has opened 1-3-5-day retreats as a stepping stone for people to help them discover a hidden treasure inside. This treasure is called Awake. For 16 years after Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien’s Awakening, there is not one minute that passes that she does not guide people to looking within themselves in order to touch and live with this Awake treasure of true happiness and freedom.

Silent retreats are a great stepping stone and practice for beginners to get a chance to really know and understand who they truly are… Awake. Attending these types of retreats help many people to recognize the non-stop chatter that happens in their head, but not follow it or get pulled into the stories and drama. That may sound simple, but the results are profound; many realizations happen during silent retreats. However, at Universal Door it doesn’t end there.

Recently Universal Door had their official Grand Opening, introducing Awake World: a place of no suffering, stress, conflicts, judging, blaming, no fear, no hatred, no more confusion. All that exists is true happiness, true freedom, complete wisdom, unlimited compassion; everyday life is open, easy, flexible, clear, bright, and much more that even words cannot describe. Many people came to learn more about what Awake World is, about the founding teacher, and why they need to Wake Up soon. In the middle of this grand opening to introduce the Awake Center, was a 7-day retreat happening where people and students from all over the US and several different countries came together from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and ages, to connect with the Awake teacher and her teachings.

How could there be a huge Grand Opening event for hundreds of people in the middle of a meditation retreat?! Because of Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien’s guidance towards Awakening, the students had advanced from silent retreats to another level of retreats that offer the opportunity for students to speak, share, interact, work, volunteer, plan, organize, and have high levels of engagement all with the goal towards being Awake and turning towards the Zen Master for guidance to Wake Up. It was such a huge success and many students had deeper levels of touching the Awake treasure within. Zen Master’s many styles of retreats are never boring, and no two retreats are ever the same! Each and every retreat, whether 1, 3, 5, 7, or even 10 days, is totally unique yet brings the students closer and closer to living Awake. Her style to help people Wake Up is not ever stuck in a certain method.

Beginning with silent retreats is a good intro, however it is also good to shift gears and bump it up a notch to bring what we realized into our everyday living and apply it there. Can you live every day in silence? That wouldn’t make much sense… and truly this is the aspect that many people and students love and appreciate about Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien. Her real-life examples, her spontaneous ways of teaching, and lessons that can be applied and brought into the students’ everyday lives are practical and profound. She Wakes people up to open their eyes to see the truth about life and themselves in ways that are so clear and easy to understand.

Zen Master’s goal is to help everyone realize the original Awake already within themselves, return to it, and live from it. She tells students that we need to Wake Up soon, because only in Awake World can we know true silence within, able to go anywhere or do anything and be disturbed by nothing.

We highly recommend that those of you who have not experienced a silent retreat to do so, and begin the journey towards Awake soon. At Universal Door, Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien teaches in a way that reaches all levels of practitioners at the same time, opening their eyes to things they never knew before. Come and experience what Awake World is like step by step, starting with silent retreats and continue to move forward opening yourself to experience the world that Zen Master Thich Dieu Thien lives in day after day…the world of Awake, where nothing but true happiness exists and to live in that day after day, moment after moment. Hope to see you in Awake World soon!

Please visit our website at www.universaldoor.org, or call us at 281-565-9718 for our upcoming schedule or more information.

“Learn something new.” is the eleventh way to ignite your life in my “IGNITE YOUR LIFE!” art project and community campaign (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) and the word associated with this concept is “LEARN.”

I went to an African dance class recently and it was all new to me! It was stimulating, both in mind and body, and I loved connecting with a new group of people – which woke up my spirit. Learning is like that – the more you learn, the more you connect, and the healthier you are.

As kids, we needed to learn for school to get a good grade. But there’s more to it than that – kids need to learn because it stimulates their brains. And the more kids are stimulated that way, the better decisions they’ll make and the more productive citizens they’ll become.

Learning comes about when neurons in the brain are fired, creating synapses. I first learned about how the neurons in our brains function in the book Now, Discover Your Strengths, which detailed brain physiology as it relates to our personality. Authors Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton wrote that from the time we are born, our brain begins to create synapses – billions and billions of them – that indicate where our attention is going. By the time we are 16 years old, however, about half of those billions have died out and it was thought that the brain’s growth slows down dramatically. However, since that book was published, scientists have discovered that our brains are still growing and developing until we are 25. This means that early care of our brain and stimulation to create more synapses is now more crucial than ever.

Adults no longer need to make good grades but we do need to have life-long brain expansion. My dad had dementia for nine years so I’ve spent a lot of time studying how to keep my brain sharp. I happened upon a fantastic program for the brain: neurobics, which you can explore at www.KeepYourBrainAlive.com. The term "neurobics" was coined by Lawrence Katz, Ph.D. and Manning Rubin and means exercise (aerobics) for the brain. They have all kinds of helpful ways to keep the brain alive and kicking, such as walking around a room with a blindfold, taking a different route home, introducing different and new smells. It was because of their research that I decided to add “learn” as a daily way to ignite your life. Using neurobics helps keep your memory intact while also maintaining your ability to learn new information. We know to exercise daily but we don’t always do a “check-up from the neck up.” It’s equally important to take care of our brain!

Another cool thing about learning is that it can ignite more curiosity. I learned some African dance moves, but now I want to learn more about the West African culture in general. And I’m sure that will lead me down many other paths. The internet can be an amazing treasure trove of information – we are in the “Age of Technology” – but be careful of doing too much armchair learning. Bringing in your five senses will enhance the experience and improve your brain the most.

“Learn something new.” is one of my twelve ways to ignite your life daily – ways that, if followed, will stave off addiction, depression, anxiety, and isolation. Being ignited for your life does that!

Sarah Gish is an igniter, a connector, an artist, a mother – and much more! See her work at www.GishCreative.com and contact her at sarah@gishcreative.com or 713.492.1173. She produces a weekly blog highlighting unique cultural activities for adults and kids in Houston, which is at www.GishPicks.com. Her IGNITE YOUR LIFE! art project is at www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com; the complete list of her “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily” can be accessed there. Bracelets with words from the project are sold at Lucia’s Garden and the Unity of Houston bookstore. Sarah also does private intuitive guidance sessions on Mondays at Body Mind & Soul; to schedule one, please call the store at 713.993.0550.

For the past 40 years, Robert Llewellyn has photographed thousands of unique beauties—many of them trees, flowers, seeds and other landscape elements. “For a photographer, anything can be a good subject, even dirt,” he says. “My mission is to move people from merely looking at things to deeply seeing things as they are.”

For Llewellyn’s first collaboration with garden writer Nancy Ross Hugo, Remarkable Trees of Virginia, published in 2008, the pair drove 20,000 miles in four years observing and capturing the complex lives of 100 notable trees. It was on this assignment that the Earlysville, Virginia, photographer developed his now-signature technique, subsequently used to illustrate one of their follow-up books, Seeing Trees.

“I wanted to photograph small parts: leaves, fruit, bark and flowers, so I would cut off a bloom, twig or seed pod and put it on a light table and take hundreds of photos, which, strung together, were infinitely sharp, like a botanic drawing. I found I could zoom into my subject to a pollen grain this way.”

Llewellyn lives with his wife on a 60-acre farm in tree-studded Albemarle County, enjoying 200-year-old oaks outside their front door. His latest of nearly 40 books, The Living Forest, is due out in October.

Why are trees, to your eyes, so captivating?

When I first started photographing trees, I thought of them as objects in the design of a photograph, rather than something that’s alive. When I began to look at a tree’s acorns, flowers and pollen, I realized that this tree is doing what we do: it’s born, grows, has offspring and dies; it seeks air, nutrients and light. Trees all have a fascinating master plan for survival and reproduction. Some trees can build an architectural structure that grows 150-foot-high and can withstand 100-mile-an-hour winds.

How do you suggest a newbie tree-watcher start learning how to see trees more intimately?

Read a book like Seeing Trees, then get up, go out and observe trees in real time, at different times of the year and track what they do. Take pencil and paper and draw them, or take pictures. Start by exploring trees in your backyard or a nearby park.

Share a quality magnifying glass to encourage youngsters to get closer to the trees, too. Challenge them to find flowers, fruit or spots where last year’s leaves fell off. Kids love that. I visit schools and have kids go out and collect fallen tree debris that we look at together.

What makes some of your favorite trees distinctive?

Red maples make an early entrance in spring, their flowers appearing before the leaves, and drop their “helicopter” seeds in spring to germinate before anything can eat them. In spring, an entire hill will turn red with these maples, but it’s not their leaves; it’s the trees’ flowers, getting ready to drop their showy red dresses on the ground before anything else is blooming.

You can learn a lot about trees by seeing what’s on the ground through their life cycles. Sycamore, for example, has both male and female flowers. The female flowers develop into fruiting seedpods that dry out and hang on through winter until a spring wind blows them apart.

Rather than seeing trees as dead in winter, what can we look for?

Trees are very much alive in winter. When leaves fall off, they leave behind little pointed leaf buds. You can cut them open and find tiny green leaves encapsulated which remain unfrozen, waiting to open up in the spring. Twigs in winter show leaf scars where the leaves dropped.

We can also witness the diverse life in and on trees in all seasons. That includes bugs, plants, fungi and parasites, in addition to the animals that nest in them and eat their fruits and nuts. I once found a round ball on an oak tree that turned out to be a wasp gall for its offspring, its larvae hanging in the middle.

How are tree-viewing skills transferrable to other aspects of our lives?

The skill of observation is vital: moving from looking to seeing. At a party, you can just mindlessly chatter with people or you can really see them—what their bodies, gestures and emotions are communicating. Labels and names get in the way of seeing things as they are. Stop labeling things or worrying about what they are called; as in meditation, just relax into observing, to embrace things as they are.

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Spirulina platensis, a single-celled blue-green algae used in supplements, is often taken for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. A new study from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, in Iran, tested the efficacy of spirulina supplementation on the body mass index (BMI), weight and cholesterol levels of 64 obese adults between the ages of 20 and 50.

Subjects were divided into intervention and placebo groups. The intervention group took twice-daily supplements of Spirulina platensis for 12 weeks. BMI, fasting blood samples and lipid profiles were assessed at the beginning and end of the study, and food intake and appetite were reported daily.

The scientists found more than double the reductions in both body weight and BMI in the spirulina group, compared to the control group. In addition, reductions in both total cholesterol and appetite were found in the intervention group.

Eleven counties in New York instituted restrictions on trans fatty acids in restaurants in 2007. Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine used data from the New York State Department of Health statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System and U.S. Census population estimates to determine the impact of these restrictions on the health of the community; they compared the 11 counties with the restriction to 25 counties without it. The scientists concluded that hospital heart attack admissions were significantly lower for the 11 counties with the restrictions.

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston, followed 108,630 U.S. women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study between 2000 and 2008, comparing their mortality rates with the amount of vegetation around their homes.

The researchers also accounted for related risk factors such as age, socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity and smoking behaviors. They concluded that subjects living in the greenest areas had a 12 percent lower mortality rate than those living in the least lush areas during the study period.

Researchers from Creighton University School of Nursing, in Omaha, Nebraska, studied 2,303 healthy postmenopausal women to determine whether a link between vitamin D and cancer existed. The treatment group comprised 1,156 women receiving 2,000 International Units of vitamin D3 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day for four years. The 1,147 women in the control group received placebos for the same duration.

Within the study timeframe, 64 women from the placebo group were diagnosed with some form of cancer, while only 49 subjects from the treatment group faced a cancer diagnosis. This represents a small, but significant reduction in the cancer rate for those taking vitamin D3. Further analyses of the levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood revealed that the women that developed cancer had substantially lower levels of this vitamin than the subjects that remained healthy.

Researchers from the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, in New York City, studied the impact of music therapy on 60 patients that had undergone spinal fusion surgery. Half received a 30-minute music therapy session, along with standard postoperative care, within 72 hours of surgery. The other half received only standard care.

The scientists used the visual analog scale to measure pain before and after music therapy in both groups concurrently. The patients receiving music therapy experienced average pain level reductions from 6.2 to 5.09, while the control group averaged slight increases in pain, from 5.2 to 5.87.

“The degree of change in the music group is notable for having been achieved by non-pharmacologic means, with little chance of adverse effects,” explains Center Director and study co-author Joanne Loewy. “Pain is subjective and personal, and warrants an individualized approach to care. Certified, licensed music therapists can tailor treatment to each patient’s musical preferences and meet their pain level.”

A study from the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, examined the impact of regular walking on people with vascular cognitive impairment, the second-most common form of dementia. The ailment occurs when blood vessels become damaged by cardiovascular disease, impeding good blood circulation and making the brain work harder.

The researchers scanned the brains and conducted computerized decision-making and attention tests on 38 people with mild, early forms of vascular cognitive impairment. Half of the subjects were asked to participate in supervised, one-hour walking sessions three times per week for a six-month period. The remaining subjects did not walk.

After six months, the walking group showed improvements in both blood pressure and brain function, with their brains requiring less effort during the decision-making and attention tests.

Resveratrol is a natural substance found in grapes, peanuts, blueberries and other foods that’s known for its heart-protective nature. Researchers believe it may also help promote eye health, including prevention of glaucoma, cataracts and macular degeneration, but not much is known about its presence in the eyes. Scientists from Tongji Medical College, in China, set out to measure the concentration of trans-resveratrol in the eyes after oral supplementation.

Three daily doses of Longevinex, an oral trans-resveratrol-based capsule supplement, was administered to 35 adults prior to eye surgery on one of their eyes, and tissue samples of the conjunctiva, aqueous humor and vitreous humor were taken. Researchers measured the tissues for resveratrol concentration to determine how much of the supplement penetrated the eyes. Resveratrol metabolites were detected in the conjunctiva of 25 of the eyes, indicating that the beneficial substance does pass through the brain.

Reebok is introducing a completely compostable sneaker designed to neither harm the environment when created nor potentially clog a landfill when discarded. The shoe’s upper section is made of sustainable organic cotton, while the sole is derived from industrially grown corn, harvested when it’s older and tougher. Even the eyelets are stitched, using no metal or plastic.

Concrete and steel allow us to build immense houses, skyscrapers and dams, but in 2012, the U.S. Energy Information Administration determined that cement manufacturing uses more energy than any other industry. A new substitute process of growing biodegradable bricks via millions of bacteria depositing chemicals, similar to the way coral grows, is now coming into use.

The bacteria are injected into a brick mold with an aggregate material such as sand. After a short time, the bacteria turn it into a solid brick. Not only is this a renewable resource, it uses relatively little energy and is a viable option for future methods of construction, including terraforming other planets (Tinyurl.com/BiodegradableBuildingMaterials).

A collaborative study published in the journal Pediatrics concludes that toddlers under the age of 2 are more likely to eat French fries than vegetables on any given day; one in four 6-to-11-month-olds and one in five 1-year-olds consumed no vegetables at all.

This concerning downward trend began more than a decade ago. The percentage of babies and toddlers eating canned or frozen fruits and vegetables declined by 10 percent between 2005 and 2012, and the consumption of dark, leafy greens among those under 2 has halved since 2005. Dr. Annemarie Stroustrup, an associate professor with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, in New York City, says, “You often have to offer a new food to a toddler up to 10 times before it’s accepted as something they will eat.”

A legal challenge in Washington state may require spending nearly $2 billion to restore salmon habitat by removing barriers that block fish migration. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a 2013 ruling ordering the state to fix or replace hundreds of culverts that allow streams to pass beneath roads, but block the salmon.

Lorraine Loomis, chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, states, “This is a win for salmon, treaty rights and everyone that lives here.” The group represents 21 tribes in western Washington that challenged the state over the culverts in 2001, part of decades-long litigation over tribal fishing rights. She advises, “Fixing fish-blocking culverts under state roads will open up hundreds of miles of habitat and result in more salmon.”

The consequences of climate change are impacting plant species in unanticipated, but logical ways; for instance, conifers and other needle trees are moving northward because they are more sensitive to temperature than flowering, deciduous trees. They already populate the boreal forest of eastern North America, so they’re well-adapted to expand into colder, drier conditions.

Individual trees can’t move, but populations can shift over time as saplings expand into a new region while older growth dies in another. A new study published in Science Advances also shows that about three-quarters of tree species common to eastern American forests, including white oaks, sugar maples and American holly, have shifted their population center westward since 1980 due to dryer conditions in the East.

Global warming has significantly altered rainfall totals. Songlin Fei, a professor of forestry at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana, and one of the study authors, observes, “Different species are responding to climate change differently. Most of the broadleaf species of deciduous trees are following moisture moving westward.”

Changes in land use, conservation efforts, wildfire frequency and the arrival of pests and blights all play parts in shifting populations. Forest ecosystems are defined as much by the mix of species and the interaction between them as by the simple presence of many trees. If different species migrate in different directions, then ecological communities could eventually collapse.

Wind turbines make for clean energy, but are dangerous to birds and bats. According to a study in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, approximately 573,000 birds and 888,000 bats are killed annually by wind turbines, due mainly to increasing wind power capacity across the nation. At one solar power plant in California, an estimated 3,500 birds died in just the plant’s first year of operation.

What would help most is offshore turbines and knowledge about migration routes. The safest place for wind turbines is in the ocean, because songbirds and bats don’t migrate over such waters. On land, many songbirds fly at night and can’t see the wind turbines until it’s too late. Once they’ve discovered the unsafe area, they avoid it. Because migration routes are based on availability of food, water and resting areas, birds are forced to fly around the turbines, adding miles to their trip and the burning of more calories.

Estimates of just how many bats are dying each year range from the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. Radar installations help to keep bats away from the deadly blades. Other remedies include slowing the blades at night to reduce collisions, which has proved to reduce overall wildlife deaths by 73 percent.

In 2016 the American Wind Energy Association announced voluntary guidelines to halt turbines during low wind speeds, when bats are most active, to reduce bat fatalities by 30 percent. If the industry will make two additional changes, bat fatalities could drop 90 percent: feathering, or turning the blades parallel to the wind so the turbines don’t rotate; and higher cut-in speeds, between 5 to 6.5 meters per second.

Take action at NationOfChange.org/petitions/protect-bats-lethal-wind-turbines.

Many people feel that Christopher Columbus is partly responsible for the genocide of Native Americans, and bestowing him a day of celebration adds insult to injury. In a progressive move, the Anadarko City Council, in Oklahoma, unanimously voted to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day—observed this year on October 9. City employees get the holiday off, and other municipalities in Oklahoma have followed suit.

The easiest way to save money on airfare is by being flexible, because flying on certain days at certain times can be more affordable. Shopping among airports and carriers can also yield dividends, perhaps leaving from one airport and returning to another or combining airlines based on the lowest available rates for legs of the trip. Off hours for flying are very early in the morning or late at night; keep looking for deals right up to the deadline.

Airlines send deals and special offers to those that sign up for email alerts. Stay updated on their social media platforms if they release special offers to online followers. To avoid incrementally increasing prices and falling victim to some packager’s tactic of dynamic pricing and tracking computer searches, clear the browser’s cookies between searches. Try helpful Travel Apps for smartphones; not only are they mobile, they vary in service and scope to suit individual needs. Most are free.

In many parts of the U.S., autumn brings fallen leaves, and the benefits of composting can be extended via leaf molding. “You get new leaves every year. You don’t need to take leaves to a landfill or burn them,” advises Lee Reich, Ph.D., a garden and orchard consultant in New Paltz, New York (LeeReich.com). Digging or tilling leaves into garden beds and containers, using them as mulch, fosters natural soil conditioning, supplies beneficial nutrients and enriches earthworm habitat. PlanetNatural.com estimates that 50 to 80 percent of tree nutrients end up in their leaves.

One method comprises piling leaves in a corner of the yard or in a wood or wire bin at least three feet wide and tall. Thoroughly dampen the entire pile and let it sit, checking the moisture level occasionally during dry periods and adding water if necessary. Another option is to fill a large plastic bag with leaves and moisten them. Seal the bag, and then cut some holes or slits for airflow. Check every month or two and add water if the leaves are dry.

Either way, the decomposition process for most leaves can take six to 12 months; DIYNatural.com reports that some leaves, like oak, can take up to three years to decompose. Hasten the process by mowing the leaves a couple of times before adding them to the pile or bag; turning them over every few weeks with a shovel or garden fork; or covering the contained pile with a plastic tarp to keep the leaves wetter and warmer.

Schoolchildren are learning the calming effect of tuning into their minds and bodies through a pioneering program in Baltimore, Maryland, that’s replacing time outs and school detentions with mindful moments. Trained staff—including many former students—teach yoga, mindfulness practices, meditation, centering and breath work that empower kids to resolve conflicts peacefully.

Brothers Atman and Ali Smith and friend Andres Gonzalez founded the nonprofit Holistic Life Foundation (HLF) in 2001 in response to the pressing need to help kids living in challenging urban environments better manage stress, anger and other heightened emotions. Today, the organization is sowing the seeds of mindfulness with some 7,500 students a week across 18 Baltimore-area schools, usually beginning through daylong, school-wide interventions and afterschool programs supporting targeted populations.

Frustrated kids cool off and center themselves through breathing exercises and meditation in the Mindful Moment Room in the HLF flagship Robert W. Coleman Elementary School. “Sometimes when I get mad, I just breathe deep. I picture being in a certain place I like and I just stop being mad… I think of being a bigger person and doing something maybe a wise man would do,” advises one participating fifth-grader.

“When we had to take a big test, before I took it and in the middle, I took deep breaths to stay calm and finish the test. When everybody around you is making a lot of noises, you just try to tune them out and be yourself, do your breathing,” says another fifth-grader.

The training starts with educators learning mindfulness techniques both to help their students and also manage their own stress in the classroom. “The program was a fantastic experience,” says Lori Gustovson, a teacher at Baltimore’s Lincoln Elementary School. “We integrated the exercises into our daily schedules, helping many students and teachers focus their attention and regulate emotions such as anxiety, anger and frustration. We are a better school because of the time they spent in our classrooms teaching us the beauty of paying attention to breath, movement and each other,” she observes.

Participating schools have reported fewer fights, better attendance and higher grades, among other benefits, according to Ali Smith, all results backed by independent research. Recent studies in schools from San Francisco to Columbus, Ohio, have shown that teaching kids mindfulness practices can heighten attentiveness, self-control and empathy, while reducing stress, hyperactivity and depression, and improving academic performance.

The kids also apply their newfound skills at home. “To take ownership of the practice and understand the benefits, you have to know how to explain it, so we use a reciprocal teaching model,” says Ali. “We teach the kids to say, ‘Mom, Dad, you look stressed; can you take a breather with me?’”

Martin, a Lincoln Elementary student, was pleased to report, “I went to my house and taught my mom how to do all the things you guys taught us.” Virginia, another student, noted, “This morning I got mad at my dad, but then I remembered to breathe, and then I didn’t shout.”

Other schools are following suit. Mindful Schools began in 2007 as a single-school program in Oakland, California, and then expanded to support online and in-person courses and a network of mindful educators spanning all 50 states and more than 100 countries. The David Lynch Foundation funds efforts to bring transcendental meditation to underserved kids in classrooms like the Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School in Queens, New York; Wilson High School, in Portland, Oregon; and Wayzata West Middle School, in Minnesota, Minneapolis, among others.

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Colorful jars of fermented Korean kimchee, Indian chutney, German sauerkraut and bottles of kombucha line many grocery store shelves today. We’re in the midst of a fermented food revival.

Grassroots Groundswell

“I grew up in New York City as the grandson of immigrants from Belarus, and sauerkraut and pickles were common foods I always loved, but neither my grandparents nor anyone else I knew made them,” says Sandor Katz. This Woodbury, Tennessee writer who travels the world giving related workshops is credited with bringing fermented foods back into the limelight. He explains, “I am self-taught and learned to ferment by experimentation. It was that first successful batch of sauerkraut that sparked my obsession. I also love eating cheese, beer, chocolate, coffee, yogurt and many other products of fermentation.”

Jennifer McGruther, who lives in the Pacific Northwest, is the author of The Nourished Kitchen cookbook, an offshoot of her blog of the same name. Her first batch of fermented food was yogurt. Now she visits her local farmers’ market every Saturday before spending Sunday prepping foods for the rest of the week. “Traditional foods like fermented vegetables, yogurt or kombucha don’t take long to prepare; they take time to culture, but it’s so rewarding,” she says.

How Much Is Enough?

Fermented foods offer a variety of positive effects on health. “If you’re consuming a diet rich in fermented foods, you’re essentially bathing your GI tract in healthy, food-related organisms,” says food research scientist Robert Hutkins, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Fermented foods with live probiotics can also improve brain function, according to a study in the journal Gastroenterology.

Fermented foods are meant to be eaten as condiments, not consumed in large quantities. Overdoing such intake might cause bloating, cramping and other digestion problems. Dr. Leonard Smith, a gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon and medical advisor for the University of Miami Department of Integrative Medicine, recommends “a half-cup of cultured vegetables or two ounces of your favorite probiotic liquid per day to start.” He says it’s possible to eventually work up to having a serving of cultured vegetables and probiotic liquids at every meal, or possibly as a between-meal snack.

Christopher Shockey adds, “We don’t see these foods as a ‘medicine’ to be eaten daily because you have to force yourself; instead, we see it as a fun, delicious, easy, healthful addition to mealtime.”

For the past 40 years, Robert Llewellyn has photographed thousands of unique beauties—many of them trees, flowers, seeds and other landscape elements. “For a photographer, anything can be a good subject, even dirt,” he says. “My mission is to move people from merely looking at things to deeply seeing things as they are.”

For Llewellyn’s first collaboration with garden writer Nancy Ross Hugo, Remarkable Trees of Virginia, published in 2008, the pair drove 20,000 miles in four years observing and capturing the complex lives of 100 notable trees. It was on this assignment that the Earlysville, Virginia, photographer developed his now-signature technique, subsequently used to illustrate one of their follow-up books, Seeing Trees.

“I wanted to photograph small parts: leaves, fruit, bark and flowers, so I would cut off a bloom, twig or seed pod and put it on a light table and take hundreds of photos, which, strung together, were infinitely sharp, like a botanic drawing. I found I could zoom into my subject to a pollen grain this way.”

Llewellyn lives with his wife on a 60-acre farm in tree-studded Albemarle County, enjoying 200-year-old oaks outside their front door. His latest of nearly 40 books, The Living Forest, is due out in October.

Why are trees, to your eyes, so captivating?

When I first started photographing trees, I thought of them as objects in the design of a photograph, rather than something that’s alive. When I began to look at a tree’s acorns, flowers and pollen, I realized that this tree is doing what we do: it’s born, grows, has offspring and dies; it seeks air, nutrients and light. Trees all have a fascinating master plan for survival and reproduction. Some trees can build an architectural structure that grows 150-foot-high and can withstand 100-mile-an-hour winds.

How do you suggest a newbie tree-watcher start learning how to see trees more intimately?

Read a book like Seeing Trees, then get up, go out and observe trees in real time, at different times of the year and track what they do. Take pencil and paper and draw them, or take pictures. Start by exploring trees in your backyard or a nearby park.

Share a quality magnifying glass to encourage youngsters to get closer to the trees, too. Challenge them to find flowers, fruit or spots where last year’s leaves fell off. Kids love that. I visit schools and have kids go out and collect fallen tree debris that we look at together.

What makes some of your favorite trees distinctive?

Red maples make an early entrance in spring, their flowers appearing before the leaves, and drop their “helicopter” seeds in spring to germinate before anything can eat them. In spring, an entire hill will turn red with these maples, but it’s not their leaves; it’s the trees’ flowers, getting ready to drop their showy red dresses on the ground before anything else is blooming.

You can learn a lot about trees by seeing what’s on the ground through their life cycles. Sycamore, for example, has both male and female flowers. The female flowers develop into fruiting seedpods that dry out and hang on through winter until a spring wind blows them apart.

Rather than seeing trees as dead in winter, what can we look for?

Trees are very much alive in winter. When leaves fall off, they leave behind little pointed leaf buds. You can cut them open and find tiny green leaves encapsulated which remain unfrozen, waiting to open up in the spring. Twigs in winter show leaf scars where the leaves dropped.

We can also witness the diverse life in and on trees in all seasons. That includes bugs, plants, fungi and parasites, in addition to the animals that nest in them and eat their fruits and nuts. I once found a round ball on an oak tree that turned out to be a wasp gall for its offspring, its larvae hanging in the middle.

How are tree-viewing skills transferrable to other aspects of our lives?

The skill of observation is vital: moving from looking to seeing. At a party, you can just mindlessly chatter with people or you can really see them—what their bodies, gestures and emotions are communicating. Labels and names get in the way of seeing things as they are. Stop labeling things or worrying about what they are called; as in meditation, just relax into observing, to embrace things as they are.

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Some cats started their careers in barns with minimal job opportunities. With updated skills, they now boost office morale, encourage reading, promote products and provide therapy. Community cats even work in private security.

In the Office

Millennials, now comprising a third of this country’s stressed-out labor force, according to the Pew Research Center and American Psychological Association, are among those that can benefit from having a cat around. Lowered blood pressure is one result, according to research by psychologist Karen Allen, Ph.D., conducted at the University at Buffalo. Even when comfort breaks are hard to schedule, insistent cats cannot be ignored.

Carlos, a former rescue kitten, greets employees at PetNovations, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, each morning. He’s the star of the corporate Instagram account and blog and promotes the company’s eco-friendly Cat Genie litterless cat box.

Smith’s Ace Hardware and Housewares, in Princeton, New Jersey, has Dusty patrol its 18,000-square-foot facility, often escorting customers along the aisles.

At St. Augustine Health Ministries, in Cleveland, the furry receptionist is Oreo. This black-and- white stray claimed the job by installing herself at the front desk to welcome guests and visit with residents that miss having their own pet.

Therapists

At the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, Duke Ellington Morris visits with patients while nurses check vital signs; he’s part of an animal-assisted therapy program through the city’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

With the help of his humans, Jessica and Eric Hagan, of Pennsylvania’s Wolf Creek Township, Draven was certified through a local Love on a Leash chapter that qualifies pet-provided therapy animals. He showed My Cat From Hell host Jackson Galaxy his hospital routine for a segment called “My Cat From Heaven.” Draven regularly visits the Grove City Medical Center, in Pine Township, local nursing homes and service groups.

Literacy Aids

“At 18, Cleo, my small, gray cat, retired from therapy visits and missed the attention,” says Michelle Cardosi, a retail clerk in Silt, Colorado. “Kids reading to her at the school library provided a solution that satisfied everyone.”

In 2010, the public library in White Settlement, Texas, adopted Browser to remedy a rodent problem. Five years later, the city council cited pending renovations and a potential impact on allergies backing a motion to oust Browser. Supporters, pointing out that the cat brought children through the doors, successfully petitioned to keep the four-legged employee.

Private Security

Less socially developed feral felines can provide needed services. The Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats rescues such cats from Los Angeles shelters. Each is vetted, spayed/neutered and microchipped. “When they’re adopted out in threes, community cats are more likely to stay on the job,” notes founder and headmistress Shawn Simons.

“In Southern California working cats are employed as assistants to brewmasters at Monkish Brewery to protect the grain and hops and at Saluti Cellars as vintner support in charge of gopher population control,” says Simons. “More traditionally, cats at the Portuguese Bend Riding Club barn discourage mice and make friends with horses and riders.”

The school’s Working Cat Program partners with area recycling centers, golf courses, warehouses and industrial parks that could otherwise lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually due to vermin-related structural damage, including gnawed wiring and other potential fire hazards. “Businesses get an all-natural, safe and effective way to control pests and cats live life naturally,” says Simons.

Working cats of many stripes are becoming increasingly common. For a business, it’s a money-saver; for a cat, it’s a lifesaver.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the word. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

Chiropractic medicine is known for its non-surgical approach to chronic pain and other musculoskeletal conditions, but also has much more to offer. However, finding the right doctor can be as daunting as shopping for a comfortable pair of shoes. Here, three reputable practitioners talk about securing individualized care and getting the most out of chiropractic.

Address Specific Needs

Clarifying the desired outcome is helpful, because some clients are just looking for a quick fix to reduce pain, while others may be seeking overall better health, lasting wellness and an improved quality of life.

“Due to insurance issues, we’ve become known as pain doctors, but that’s not the full extent of chiropractic,” explains Dr. Michelle Robin, owner of Your Wellness Connection and the educational DrMichelleRobin.com website, in Shawnee, Kansas. “Also, you can see more than one chiropractor, as each has their own strength.”

Dr. Michael Aho, of Crosstown Chiropractic, in Chicago, agrees. “Chiropractic care encompasses many styles, so one of the biggest variables is the type of treatment the doctor uses. Most offices commonly treat neck, mid-back and low back pain. If you have a specific shoulder, knee or foot problem, you may want to find a doctor that frequently treats those issues. If you are pregnant, choose a chiropractor that has experience working with pregnant women.”

“There are more than 140 different chiropractic techniques. Some are light touch, while others are aggressive. Some are hands-on and some use instruments for adjusting. It’s important that the doctor’s approach resonates with your nature,” advises Dr. Jackie St.Cyr of the Innate Chiropractic Healing Arts Center, in Houston.

Robin advises that sitting in a doctor’s reception room to just observe and trusting our intuition is helpful before moving forward with a consultation.

Ask Questions

First, find out if a chiropractor has embraced either a conventional medical or holistic model, and then delve more deeply to find the right approach and level of care. “Ask how long a doctor has practiced and their governing philosophy. Do they treat the full spine or focus on the point of pain, and what range of techniques do they apply? You want them to know your spine before they adjust it; make sure they conduct a new patient exam,” suggests St.Cyr. An exam may include a thermography scan and X-rays.

Helpful questions include what to expect during the initial visit, recommended frequency of treatment, the desired doctor’s office hours and how treatment might benefit a particular condition. Because most chiropractic offices offer compatible treatments, also ask about complementary modalities such as acupuncture, massage therapy, heat therapy, and interferential current therapy using minute electrical pulses for deep tissue pain relief.

Be Consistent

“You shouldn’t expect instant results,” says Aho. “You’ll benefit the most if you don’t wait too long after first experiencing symptoms of a problem before starting treatment, and are consistent with your treatment.” Being proactive can foster good results.

St.Cyr concurs, stating, “When patients follow their chiropractor’s recommended routine of regular corrective care, they get the best results. Be consistent with visits and do your customized spinal exercises; they’ve been proven to work.”

Robin expounds that not following through with homecare is a common pitfall for patients. “Like dental care, you always need to do something for your spine every day, be it stretching or other exercise or good nutrition.”

She notes that everyone’s response to chiropractic is different. “Be realistic. If you’ve experienced injuries or accidents, it will take longer, and your healing might look different from that of someone else that is free of injuries and follows a healthier diet. Sometimes people give up on chiropractic instead of finding a chiropractor that is good for them. You wouldn’t give up going to the dentist, and the same should apply to chiropractic care.”

Marlaina Donato is a freelance writer, author and multimedia artist. Connect at MarlainaDonato.com.

15 Ways to Craft a Circle of Caring

by Linda Buzzell

In facing up to today’s degrading environmental, economic, political, social and hyper-individualistic cultural conditions, we instinctively know that survival requires coming together to effect constructive change. Here are proven approaches to community building that work.

1. Build a campfire. Whether literal or metaphoric, create a clear, focused attraction that draws people into a circle.

2. Connect with nature and the seasons. Tying gatherings into what’s happening seasonally with all life forms is a traditionally effective way of fostering community.

3. Welcome each person. Either designate greeters or go around the circle welcoming and acknowledging each participant before proceeding with the event’s main activity. People that feel seen and known are more likely to stay involved.

4. Provide food and drink. Traditional societies have always taken hospitality seriously. Having people bring items to add to the collective feast is better than catering.

5. Ceremony, ritual and the sacred. Deep in our collective human memory lie countless spring and harvest festivals, ceremonial or religious events, meals and celebrations that included a strong sense of passage, initiation and the sacredness of all life. Use one as a springboard to add meaning to a contemporary gathering.

6. Collective problem solving. People bond into a community when they participate in solving a real-world community problem, helping someone in need or addressing a situation that demands a community solution. Consider using Robert’s Rules of Order or other guidelines for discussion that maintain civility, discourage competitiveness and peacefully resolve conflicts in order to reach consensus.

7. Storytelling. Humans learn best when seeing and hearing stories. Facts don’t arouse us as much as narratives and full-body experiences do. Bombarding people with facts won’t create desired change. We must be inspired to act on the knowledge.

8. Elders. Shared history, respect and affection are vital to belonging. Adults coping with a high-stress, industrialized culture might tend to find elders’ stories slow-moving and boring, but they are a critical resource for our collective survival. Beware of the “star from afar” syndrome that posits outsiders as experts, rather than honoring and developing our own community resources, which won’t disappear at the end of an event.

9. Gifts and sharing. As we focus on creating a sharing society versus a gimme culture, it’s nice to give small gifts such as a plant or garden flower, organic seeds or regifted items to event attendees. It’s a simple way to help everyone feel valued, appreciated and welcomed. The key is keeping events local, simple and created by the community for the community. Many hands make light work, and some of the best community events cost the host little, while everyone involved brings their own chair or blanket, serving ware and potluck dish.

10. Shopping. People have been bonding through meeting others in the marketplace since ancient times. Sales or silent auctions are popular when the money paid is a gift to the community.

11. A little excitement. Raffles and door prizes add fun as long as any money raised goes into the common coffers as a gift to all.

12. Child care. Children provide a necessary source of untamed energy and entertainment for any gathering. Multigenerational exchanges also help form and shape them through exposure to role models and life education, even if they might not feel engaged at the time.

13. Transportation. Facilitating carpools and providing transportation for those without cars or unable to walk builds community even before the event starts.

14. Dance and body movement. Modern society makes us sit a lot. Physical action connects us in a way nothing else can.

15. Beauty andmusic. Our eyes and ears are portals to the soul and spirit of the human psyche. Even a simple drum can bond individuals into a coherent group. Community singing can be powerful medicine, as places of worship ever demonstrate. A simple flower on the table or painting on the wall brings powerful archetypal energies to bear as we come together. An outdoor meeting brings nature’s magnificence to our senses, adding extraordinary power to events.

The bottom line is that any community gathering, organization or event that engages body, mind and spirit has a far greater chance of surviving and thriving.

Linda Buzzell is a psychotherapist, ecotherapist, blogger and co-editor of Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind. She co-founded a local permaculture guild, and a voluntary simplicity circle which met for 10 years in her local community.Connect at EcotherapyHeals.com.

Activator Method – A small, handheld instrument is used to gently address targeted areas for many conditions, especially low back pain and specific types of headaches including migraine. It’s considered safe for children and patients with severe arthritis and osteoporosis.

Active Release Technique – This approach is used for soft tissue conditions, both acute and from repetitive motion or recurring injuries such as those experienced by athletes. It targets adhesions in muscles and connective tissues that tighten around nerves to limit joint mobility..

Atlas Orthogonal Method – Adjustment of the atlas—the first spine vertebra that supports the skull and provides a path for the spinal cord—helps reduce stress in the brain stem and nervous system.

Blair Technique – Adjustment of the upper cervical (neck) area, especially the first two vertebrae, is especially beneficial for nerve function.

Diversified Technique – Widely used among chiropractors to generally improve neurological function, reduce neck, back and leg pain, especially from herniated disks, this technique may also be helpful for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Extremity Manipulation Flexion-Distraction – This involves manipulation of the extremities (arm/shoulder, leg/hip). It helps improve joint mobility and reduce stress along the spine and is especially useful for carpal tunnel syndrome and problems with posture and gait.

Gonstead Technique – The most recognizable form of chiropractic manipulation and similar to Diversified Technique, this approach addresses misalignment and involves variable-pressure spine adjustment and realignment. It includes X-ray analysis to pinpoint problem areas and is deemed safe for children, pregnant women and the elderly.

Graston Technique – Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization helps reduce scar tissue and persistent pain from acute and old injuries, as well as resolve longstanding trigger points in muscles and joints. It promotes circulation in affected areas to reduce pain and inflammation. It also may allay non-systemic causes of fibromyalgia.

Logan Basic Technique – A low-force way to realign bones via gentle, sustained pressure at the base of the spine, it’s considered beneficial for headaches, including migraine, neck and low back pain and stress. A safe form of physical rehabilitation considered effective for all ages.

Myofascial Technique – This soft tissue therapy resolves trigger points deep within muscles and joints. Beneficial for muscle spasms, it’s thought to be useful for sciatica and piriformis syndrome. It’s also used by massage therapists.

Network Spinal Analysis (network chiropractic) – This low-force technique addresses the entire body to improve communication between the brain and nerves via points along the spine and is suited to all ages.

Pettibon System – Based on a total body assessment, both structural and nutritional, this system focuses on posture correction and spinal alignment, diet and muscle development.

Sacro-Occipital Technique – Focused on the relationship between the bases of the spine and skull, it employs triangular-shaped blocks under the pelvis to target lower back issues; low-force adjustments include slow pressure to address issues related to the skull. It is considered especially beneficial for hiatal hernia and gastro-esophageal reflux.

Somato Respiratory Integration – Special exercises leverage the body-breath connection to assist stress management, tension release and whole body awareness. It employs focus, breath work, touch and movement. Compatible with other treatments, it can also be done at home.

Thompson Drop Technique– Employed via a “drop table” and thrust of the chiropractor’s hands. It can help determine discrepancy in leg lengths. Benefits include improved posture, flexibility and sleep, and decreased pain.

An open-hearted journey can take unexpected paths. More travelers today are searching for deep and lasting changes in their view of themselves and the world.

Declare Your Intentions

Attention and intention are the main ingredients for transformative travel for Phil Cousineau, acclaimed author of The Art of Pilgrimage. “Ask yourself what is motivating the journey: Are you going just to check something off your bucket list because you read about it or are you going because your grandma told you how magical her visit there was in the 1920s? Are you going because you’re at a crossroads in your life, marriage or work?” queries Cousineau.

Naming your intention helps open up the heart and psyche for transformation. Cousineau recommends sharing our choice beforehand with a friend or even a casual acquaintance. Writing it down can also unpack those yearnings and understand the pull to a place.

Part of the intention-setting is clarifying what we hope to accomplish through making a journey, suggests Nathaniel Boyle, creator of The Travelers podcast and the travel platform Holocene that facilitates community among transformation-seeking travelers. It might be climbing a mountain with our spouse to strengthen a marriage or taking a cooking class in Italy or basket weaving workshop in Indonesia to rekindle a sense of fresh input and creative expression.

Stay Open

Cousineau suggests that travelers prepare to open their thinking by reading about the history, culture and geography of a place, and then continue to learn en route by talking to locals for insight rather than relying only on a guidebook. “Make yourself vulnerable. Ask questions and be humble. Talk to your waiter or cab driver about their lives and conditions in their country. Those that become most delighted and transformed by their experience are the most curious,” observes Cousineau.

Anna Pollock, of London, England, founder of Conscious Travel and a sustainable travel expert, elaborates on potential results. “Travelers may see the world and their part in it differently or feel greater clarity, peace, freedom or hope. For some, it’s about insights into their personal purpose. Others may return with a deeper sense of connectedness or feeling of mastery that comes from trying something completely new.”

Jake Haupert, of Seattle, owner of Evergreen Escapes International, co-founded the Transformative Travel Council to help people embark on such life-altering journeys, and translate “Aha!” moments on the road into meaningful changes back home. He’s witnessed individuals undergo radical shifts from changing careers to becoming parents. One couple was so moved by their experiences on an African safari, that they adopted their first child from Kenya.

Move Beyond Comfort

“Travel can serve as a vehicle for expansive personal growth. Through it, we learn to explore the world and ourselves,” Boyle observes.

“When you venture outside the controlled environment of prepackaged trips for tourists to face difficult decisions and confusing and chaotic situations that require problem solving, that’s where real change can occur,” says Haupert.

“My 12,000-mile journey from Washington, D.C., to Antarctica was transformative in so many ways,” says journalist Andrew Evans, author of The Black Penguin memoir. “I’m a geographer by training and spent four years studying maps, but I never understood the true size of the world until I traveled across it on a Greyhound bus. I now see the world as much smaller and much more accessible. The trip made me a stronger, more confident person, and less afraid of what other people think of me; it also made me want to keep traveling.”

“Travel comes from the word travail, to labor, and trip from tripalium, Latin for a Medieval torture rack. Metaphorically, travel can feel like torture at times, and some travelers feel unhappy, unprepared, bored or disappointed,” remarks Cousineau. “But the flip side is that travels can stretch us, just like a Medieval rack.”

If you have stretch goals, you can build that into your itinerary, advises Haupert, whether it’s getting the courage to skydive or negotiate a purchase in a foreign market.

Do Less, Experience More

To heighten experiential awareness while traveling, build fewer to-dos into an itinerary, the experts recommend. “Immerse yourself in a place. Leave time for unplanned explorations, rather than bouncing between destinations without space for spontaneity and restful reflection,” says Haupert. “Also build in time for meditation, yoga, simple relaxation or other intentionally restorative moments in-between the high-intensity peak experiences.”

Haupert suggests staging a ceremonial start to a journey, such as a special dinner or bike ride upon arrival. Similarly, Cousineau recommends starting a new journal on every journey, to ceremoniously start anew in one’s thinking.

Engaging in ritual can also help awaken the traveler, says Cousineau. He suggests walking in silence as we approach a sacred site, or physically engaging with it, as pilgrims might when they palm the feet of a Buddha statue or press their forehead to the Wailing Wall.

Sacred sites are fertile grounds for transformative experiences, says Lori Erickson, an Episcopal deacon, travel writer and author of Holy Rover: Journeys in Search of Mystery, Miracles, and God, a memoir of her trips to a dozen of the world’s holy sites. “So many people have prayed and opened their hearts in a holy place that you can feel the energy,” she says.

Erickson suggests that travelers seek out hallowed ground from different traditions, which can help heal divides among people of divergent faiths. “The art and architecture of holy sites are beautiful manifestations of spiritual longing and human creativity. These places have the power to move you, regardless of your own spiritual background.”

Lasting Travel Gifts

When you give while traveling, you often get back even more, says Cousineau. “A pilgrim never travels empty-handed. Bring gifts; even postcards from home can make a meaningful connection.” He recently brought baseball equipment along on a group tour he led to give to kids in baseball-crazed Cuba. Giving appreciation is as important as tangible mementos, he notes. “Gratitude makes transformation possible; that’s what modern people are longing for, to be touched.”

Boyle suggests that finding ways to give back can unlock unique opportunities. Quinn Vanderberg and Jonathon Button, guests on Boyle’s podcast, left stable lives and jobs in California for Nicaragua in 2012 with only their travel bags and a shared dream. Brainstorming a vision for a new life together, the 25-year-old pair had realized, “We wanted life to be filled with travel, culture and people, and to make an impact along the way,” says Vanderburg. “We went knowing we wanted to create a social venture, but first wanted to see what was really needed by the community.”

They went on to partner with local educational nonprofits and artisans to launch Life Out of the Box, a line of clothing and accessories modeled after Toms’ “Buy one, give one” business model. For every product sold, the entrepreneurs donate school supplies to a child in need. Since 2012, the project has expanded to also support kids in Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico and Morocco.

Drive Home Transformation

Starting with a moment of reflection before departing a place, take advantage of a trip’s afterglow to recall insights learned, gel memories, share insights and move to make changes stick. Haupert sees this as a good time to develop an action plan to “express gratitude for the journey and create a framework for your homecoming.”

Then, take a day to reflect upon returning home before jumping back into work or other obligations, internalizing your experience and integrating your “traveler self” back into normalcy. It might involve a trip to the spa, an afternoon of journaling or organizing trip photos, suggests Haupert.

“Resist the urge to check emails the minute the plane touches down or start planning the next trip. Take time to remember the journey and see your home turf with fresh eyes,” adds Cousineau.

The returned pilgrim has a responsibility to memorialize the journey, an ancient tradition of Judeo-Christian and Islamic faiths, advises Cousineau. The San Francisco writer traveled with a group on foot from Louisville, Kentucky, to Thomas Merton’s Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, near Bardstown, Kentucky, to celebrate the legacy of Merton and Mahatma Gandhi. One of the women inked a footprint from each of 100-plus travelers, sewing them into a quilt to commemorate the pilgrimage.

Chronicling the journey can be as simple as a dinner party with friends to share what you’ve learned, says Cousineau, but suggests that travelers engage attendees to also contribute their own stories and reflections.

“We have a choice upon returning; do nothing and just let that experience fade or own it for ourselves,” concurs Boyle. “It’s incumbent to extract the meaning of our experience and find a way to express it, whether through a photo series, article, painting or video. The traveler’s ‘third act’ of creativity after preparation and execution is how we process change.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Quotes

If we truly want to know the secret of soulful traveling, we need to believe there is something sacred waiting to be discovered in virtually every journey.

~ Phil Cousineau

Adventure travelers named transformation and an expanded worldview as top motives for their explorations.

~ Adventure Travel Trade Association

The fastest growing priority for luxury travelers is experiences that provide a new perspective on the world.

~ Skift Research [backup only; prefer ATTA research]

One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.

~ Andre Gide

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but seeing with new eyes.

~ Marcel Proust

We travel initially to lose ourselves; and we travel next to find ourselves.

~ Pico Iyer

We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

The most common way of testing bone density is a DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan. The result is called a T-score and is one place where a zero is perfect. A score of +1.0 to

-1.0 is considered normal. A score between -1.0 and -2.5 is considered osteopenia, or weakened bones. A score lower than -2.5 indicates some level of osteoporosis.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends bone density testing for women and men older than 65 and 70, respectively, and those that are petite, prone to breaking bones or have other risk factors.

Yoga doesn’t involve bouncing or jumping for the most part, but it can be helpful in maintaining strong bones, says Sherri Betz, a Santa Cruz, California, physical therapist and Pilates and yoga instructor. “Poses, including the Tree, Chair, Warrior, Triangle, Half Moon and Sun Salute, need to be as dynamic as possible and focus on leg strengthening and spine extension.

“Fermented foods are well known for building gut health. Now a growing body of research shows that they improve immunity, brain and heart functions,” says Michelle Schoffro Cook, Ph.D. The board-certified doctor of natural medicine, certified herbalist and author blogs from Vancouver, Canada.

Get started with these simple, plant-based recipes from her latest book, The Cultured Cook: Delicious Fermented Foods with Probiotics to Knock Out Inflammation, Boost Gut Health, Lose Weight & Extend Your Life.

Salvadoran Salsa

Yields: about 1 quart

This gingery and spicy salsa, also known as curtido, is a traditional Salvadoran food. The twist here is added turmeric and green apple. Serve on its own, as a condiment with chips, on sausages or over salad. Maybe mix a couple of heaping spoonfuls with freshly mashed avocado for a fresh take on guacamole.

½ green cabbage

1 to 2 carrots

1 green apple, cored and quartered

One 2-inch piece fresh ginger

½ cayenne chili

½ small purple or red onion

One 2-inch piece fresh turmeric

3 Tbsp unrefined fine or 6 Tbsp unrefined coarse sea salt

1 quart (or liter) filtered water

Use a food processor with a coarse grating blade to shred the cabbage, carrots, apple, ginger, chili, onion and turmeric. (Consider wearing food-safe gloves to avoid touching the chili.)

Transfer to a crock or a large glass or ceramic bowl, and mix well.

In a pitcher or large measuring cup, dissolve the salt in the water, stirring if necessary to dissolve the salt. Pour the saltwater over the salsa mixture until all ingredients are submerged, leaving a couple of inches at the top for expansion.

Place a snug-fitting plate inside the crock or bowl over the salsa-water mixture; then weigh it down with food-safe weights or a bowl or jar of water, so the vegetables remain submerged under the brine as they ferment. Cover with a lid or a cloth, and allow it to ferment five to seven days, checking periodically to ensure the salsa is still submerged below the water line.

If any mold forms on the surface, simply scoop it out. It won’t spoil the salsa unless it gets deeper inside the crock. (It may form where the mixture meets the air, but it rarely forms deeper.)

After one week, put the salsa in jars or a bowl, cover and place in the fridge, where it usually lasts up to a year.

Fermented Chopped Salad

Yields: about 6 cups

Unlike other salads, this version stores for many months in the fridge. Serve on its own or toss it in vinaigrette and serve over brown rice for a quick and nutritious rice bowl dinner.

1 radish, finely chopped

½ small onion, finely chopped

1 turnip, chopped into ½-inch chunks

1 carrot, chopped into ½-inch chunks

3 small apples, chopped into ½-inch chunks

Handful of green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 rutabaga, chopped into ½-inch chunks

1 to 2 grape leaves, kale leaves or other large leafy greens (optional)

3 Tbsp unrefined fine or 6 Tbsp unrefined coarse sea salt

1 quart (or liter) filtered water

In a medium bowl, mix the radish, onion, turnip, carrot, apples, green beans and rutabaga; then transfer to a small crock.

Place the grape leaves or other leafy greens on top of the chopped ingredients to help hold them under the brine; then weigh the mix down with food-safe weights or a jar or bowl of water.

In a pitcher or large measuring cup, dissolve the salt in the water, stirring if necessary to dissolve the salt.

Pour the brine over the salad, cover with a lid or cloth, and let ferment for one week.

Remove the weights and the grape leaves or other leafy greens.

Dish out to jars or a bowl, cover and refrigerate, where the salad should last six to 12 months.

Vegan Kefir

Yields: about 1 quart

Traditional Kefir

Traditional kefir is made with cow’s milk but can be made with plant-based milks like cashew, almond, sunflower seed or coconut. The sweetener feeds the kefir microbes, leaving minimal sugar in the end product. The grains will grow over time; only about one tablespoon of kefir grains are needed to keep the kefir going; remove the extras to eat, give to friends or add to compost.

“Peak bone strength is reached by the age of 30, so it’s vital for young people to engage in dynamic impact movement through their teen years and 20s,” says Sherri Betz, chair of the American Physical Therapy Association bone health group, a doctor of physical therapy and geriatric certified specialist with a private practice in Santa Cruz, California.

Engaging in sports during our youthful developing years helps build strong, wide and dense bones that will carry us well into old age, literally giving us a firmer base to stand on. It’s paramount to encourage children and young people to be physically active and for us all to continue with athletic activities throughout adulthood to preserve the bone health peak we reach at age 30.

Optimal Bone Exercises

“Adulthood is a perfectly good time to start building and improving bone fitness and health. The outcome is just a little bit less,” says Steven A. Hawkins, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at California Lutheran University, in Thousand Oaks.

“Bone responds to exercise much like muscle,” explains Larry Tucker, Ph.D., professor of exercise sciences at Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah. “Bone doesn’t grow, per se, but like muscle, it does get denser and stronger according to the stresses and strains put on it.

“The key is to put a heavy load on bones to stimulate them to grow,” Hawkins adds.

Standing exercises are recommended, because the bones most likely to benefit from strengthening exercise are 30 targeted leg and hip bones, says Tucker.

“Surprising the bone is your best bet,” adds Betz. “Don’t do the same things over and over again at the same time, either repetitive exercises like running or weight lifting or consistent combinations; even high-intensity exercise can diminish the effects.”

The most highly recommended exercises involve those that require changing directions, bouncing and leaping—from basketball to lively dance, and even some intense yoga postures. Hopping and jumping are probably the best way to strengthen bones, but must be done in the proper way, according to Tucker and others. Research by Tucker’s team published in the American Journal of Health Promotion studied the effects of jumping on hip bone density in premenopausal women. It may seem counterintuitive, but Tucker reports that most benefits are gained from jumping as high as possible, resting 30 seconds and repeating up to 10 times twice a day in internals at least eight hours apart. “If you jump continuously, the exercise loses effectiveness pretty quickly,” he says.

Those that enjoy circuit training should do something else during the 30-second rests between repetitions, Tucker advises. Because it’s the jolt of jumping that stimulates bone strength, using a mini-trampoline or other cushioning devise device to lessen impact on the body won’t increase bone density.

Betz cautions against starting a jumping program too quickly. “Proper alignment, balance and body awareness come first,” she says. “Do 20 to 25 heel raises in a row, a full squat with good alignment and a full lunge to ready the body for a jumping program.” Such strengthening safeguards against falling and injury.

Walking Isn’t It

Walking, running, weight training and other repetitive exercises don’t improve bone density, says Hawkins. “Walk and do other repetitive exercises for cardiovascular health and general fitness. While these might help maintain current bone strength, they won’t improve bone density.” Walking reduced the risk of hip fracture by 41 percent for postmenopausal women walking four hours a week, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Numerous studies confirm that exercise of any kind keeps us healthy, but for bone health, the answer is to start weight-bearing exercises early and sustain the practice for a lifetime.

Kathleen Barnes is a health writer and author of numerous books, including The Calcium Lie II: What Your Doctor Still Doesn’t Know, with Dr. Robert Thompson. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com.

This was my first time to dine at Loving Hut Houston. I seldom get out to Kirkwood Road so when I learned that the Vegan Society of PEACE was having their monthly meeting there, I decided that this was a good time to try them out. They are a bright sunny place in a small shopping center. The local menu is Chinese, Vietnamese and south Asian inspired vegan dishes but they also offer several burgers and other American food.

Not feeling very adventurous and not knowing how they season the food, I chose the Savory Spaghetti and iced hibiscus tea. I’m not a fan of flavored teas but this was really good with a slightly sweet citrusy flavor. The pasta was cooked just right. Not over cooked but not al dente. The sauce was a surprise. Although it was red, it was not your typical marinara sauce. It was not sweet but was truly savory. I could really taste the red bell peppers and onions but they weren’t overpowering.

I am definitely going to have to find an excuse to go back. Maybe be more adventurous. Loving Hut Houston is more than just a restaurant that serves vegan food but they are committed to the whole vegan ethic of harming no sentient beings.

In the world of healing, most of us have heard of and have experienced many amazing modalities. We become generalists, knowing a little about a lot of approaches. Chiropractic, as most of us understand, is something that helps with back pain and general alignment, and is something we tend to use on an “as needed” basis (when we have pain or a problem). But there’s one form of chiropractic that helps you go so much deeper into an experience of your brain and spine as the cause of your wellness, energy, and vitality. It’s an empowering and life changing experience that thousands of people, including personal development guru Tony Robbins, swear by.

NETWORK SPINAL ANALYSIS™ (often called NSA or simply Network Care) is an advanced neurological healing technology founded, developed and perfected over the last 30 years by Dr. Donald Epstein, a chiropractor. NSA is exclusively practiced by doctors of chiropractic. Like all forms of chiropractic, NSA addresses the nervous system as a means to promote healing in the body. Unlike other forms of care, Network Spinal Analysis promotes a more lasting change through reprogramming your brain and nervous system to feel better and get more out of life so that you can effortlessly express the best and brightest version of yourself.

With all the helpful healing modalities and forms of chiropractic out there, what’s the point of learning about yet another one? Consider that your spine is a powerful conductor of energy. It’s like a gigantic antenna that is in charge of the brain and the body being able to work together for your highest expression (wellness), or, if there are problems with how the antenna is tuned, to instead express illness, symptoms, bad posture, and dysfunction. When that “spine antenna” is tuned in the best it can be, you get to experience yourself not only as having less pain, better posture, being vital, bright, and well, but you get to experience yourself as creating that result from inside your body, as your central nervous system reprograms. Not only does your spine act as the antenna for brain-body communication, but also as the antenna between you and the outside world. What signals are you bringing in, and what signals are you putting out?

Network Spinal Analysis uniquely helps the nervous system better adapt to future stress. Dr. Donald Epstein has said that “If you haven’t made the change you want to make in life, it’s because you haven’t felt what you need to feel yet to make that change.” When we are stuck in painful patterns of stress, we act accordingly. When we feel something different, because the brain and spine create a different experience, we can do something different. When we do things that are different we create the basis of a new life and can awaken to our true, authentic self. NSA is not a replacement for any type of wellness care or treatment that you might be doing. Rather, it augments the results of your other activities, by ensuring that your brain and body can properly utilize the nutrition, yoga, exercise, and the like. Furthermore, by tuning and upgrading your nervous system routinely, you will find that you are continually guided toward the activities and experiences that best promote your health and wellness, and you will find it easy to know what you can stop doing that no longer serves you.

Research has demonstrated that even if a patient changes their diet, maintains regular exercise, meditates and performs other health promoting practices, the results on their wellness are magnified beyond what they would have been when combined with the NSA care they receive. History has repeatedly proven that new technologies, strategies, inventions, and human developments take a while to become commonplace. But with time they do become commonplace because when there is truth, genius, knowing, and need behind something it will become normal to the culture it serves.

We look forward to a future when care for the spine and nervous system is rightly seen as a necessary part of the health and wellness of every individual and family. In the meantime, you owe it to yourself to experience this form of care and learn more about how your nervous system, with a little tuning and upgrading, can bring you to a whole new realm of experiencing.

Dr. Katie Ray, DC, was introduced to life-changing spinal transformation through NSA care in 2005 and has been in practice since 2012. Her practice, New Day, focuses on young professionals, creatives, influencers, and their families, and is located in Chicago’s north-center neighborhood.

Dr. Jackie St.Cyr has been serving in the Chiropractic profession since the age of 16 and has been a Board Certified Doctor of Chiropractic since 1995. She holds postgraduate education and certification in Network Spinal Analysis and Somato Respiratory Integration. Her practice and the INNATE CHIROPRACTIC Healing Arts Center is located at 230 Westcott St, Suite 220 in Houston, TX.

“NSA and SRI are amongst the most powerful sources of transformation I have ever experienced or seen. They produce embodied and empowered strategies that are both sustainable and enjoyable for enhanced human resourcefulness and wellness. I am stronger, more inspired, creative and healthy because of this work. It has personally and professionally helped me to maximize my ability to contribute to others.”

“Explore your creativity.” is the 10th way to ignite your life in my “IGNITE YOUR LIFE!” art project and community campaign (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) and the word associated with this concept is “CREATE.”

I have the quote “Art is a roaring realization of oneself (Edward Albee).” where I can see it in my studio every day. It’s a reminder to me of why I create art and why I encourage others to create art: you discover yourself. And it is because of this discovery that you ignite your life. We are nothing without self-knowledge and art is the most direct path towards it.

I majored in Art History in college, I became an “Artist” (you know, the capital A kind that creates for public consumption) in 2000, and began teaching workshops with art as an important component in 2005. I am a BIG believer in the importance of art and have seen how art frees up the mind to express itself fully in all its glory. I teach art to kids and they are always so relieved when I tell them there are no rules. They then relax, create, and listen to the song of their soul. Art is good for us physically: it forces us to connect the right and left side of our brains and stimulates the right side which is often dormant due to the pressures of living in a left-brained, rational, analytical world.

There are many ways to create – dance, writing, visual art, theatre, film, music – so there is something for everyone. As Pablo Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” The children I work with are wildly creative and fully focused on the art at hand. When we become adults, we often lose that spontaneous approach as we struggle to make ends meet and deal with deadlines, co-workers, and getting meals on the table. Art doesn’t know all that – it’s a world of suspended reality and I hope you’ll enter it soon! If you don’t know where to begin, buy a child’s pack of watercolors and paper and unleash it. Or grab some colored pencils and start coloring a mandala. Carl Jung had his patients do that after he noticed that they calmed his patients and provided him some insights to a person’s medical condition based on how they drew.

“Explore your creativity.” is one of my 12 ways to ignite your life daily – ways that, if followed, will stave off addiction, depression, anxiety, and isolation. Being ignited for your life does that!

Sarah Gish is an igniter, a connector, an artist, a mother – and much more! See her work at www.GishCreative.com and contact her at sarah@gishcreative.com, or 713.492.1173. She produces a weekly blog highlighting unique cultural activities for adults and kids in Houston, which is at www.GishPicks.com. Her IGNITE YOUR LIFE! art project is at www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com; the complete list of her “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily” can be accessed there. Bracelets with words from the project are sold at Lucia’s Garden and the Unity of Houston bookstore. Sarah also does private intuitive guidance sessions on Mondays at Body Mind & Soul; to schedule one, please call the store at 713.993.0550.

Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, examined the effectiveness of tonsillectomies in children with recurring throat infections. Using data from nearly 10,000 studies of tonsillectomies, the scientists analyzed illness rates and quality of life for young patients following the surgery.

The analysis found that children experienced a notable drop in school absences and number of infections in the first year after the surgery, but that these benefits did not persist over time. Dr. Siva Chinnadurai, an associate professor of otolaryngology and co-author of the report, believes, “For any child being considered a candidate for surgery, the family must have a personalized discussion with their healthcare provider about all of the factors that may be in play, and how tonsils fit in as one overall factor of that child’s health.”

A study from Nagasaki University, in Japan, has found that reducing salt in the diet can cut down on the number of trips to the bathroom during the night. Researchers followed 321 men and women with high-salt diets and sleep problems for 12 weeks. Of the subjects, 223 reduced their salt intake from 10.7 grams per day to 8.0 grams and the remaining 98 increased their salt intake from 9.6 grams per day to 11 grams.

The nighttime urination frequency rate for the salt reduction group dropped from 2.3 times per night to 1.4 times while the increased salt group’s rose from 2.3 to 2.7 times per night.

Researchers from Helsinki, Finland, analyzed data from 2,000 people to find out how sleeping patterns affected their food choices. They discovered individuals that wake up early make healthier food choices throughout the day and are more physically active.

“Linking what and when people eat to their biological clock type provides a fresh perspective on why certain people are more likely to make unhealthy food decisions,” explains lead author Mirkka Maukonen, from the National Institute for Health and Welfare, in Helsinki.

Researchers from several international universities have found that seniors that provide caregiving services live longer than those that do not. The scientists analyzed survival data and information collected from the Berlin Aging Study on 500 adults over the age of 69 from 1990 to 2009. They compared survival rates from the subjects that provided caregiving for children, grandchildren and friends to those that did not.

Of the subjects analyzed, the half that took care of their grandchildren or children were still alive 10 years after their first interview in 1990. Caring for non-family members also produced positive results, with half of the subjects living for seven years after the initial interview. Conversely, 50 percent of those that did not participate in any caregiving had died just four years after the first interview.

The researchers warn that caregiving must be done in moderation. Ralph Hertwig, director of the Center for Adaptive Rationality and the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, in Berlin, Germany, explains, “A moderate level of caregiving involvement seems to have positive effects on health, but previous studies have shown that more intense involvement causes stress, which has a negative effect on physical and mental health.”

Beets contain high levels of dietary nitrate, which can increase blood flow and improve exercise performance. Researchers from Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, tested the impact of consuming beetroot juice prior to exercise on the somatomotor cortex, the part of the brain that processes information from the muscles.

Twenty-six older adults with hypertension that generally don’t exercise were split into two groups. Half were given a beetroot juice supplement with 560 milligrams of nitrate prior to a thrice-weekly, 50-minute treadmill walk for six weeks. The other half were given a placebo with very little nitrate. The beetroot juice group showed substantially higher levels of nitrate after exercising than the placebo group.

“We knew going in that a number of studies had shown that exercise has positive effects on the brain,” explains W. Jack Rejeski, director of the Behavioral Medicine Laboratory in the health and exercise science department at Wake Forest and study co-author. “We showed that compared to exercise alone, adding a beetroot juice supplement for hypertensive older adults to exercise resulted in brain connectivity that closely resembles what is seen in younger adults.”

]]>Sun, 24 Sep 2017 13:05:21 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_85455_meditation_and_music_aid_memory_in_early_stages_of_alzheimers.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_85455_meditation_and_music_aid_memory_in_early_stages_of_alzheimers.htmlMeditation and Music Aid Memory in Early Stages of Alzheimer’s

A new study from West Virginia University, in Morgantown, reveals that listening to music and practicing meditation may help improve memory function for those in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers asked 60 adults experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a common predictor of Alzheimer’s, to engage in kirtan kriya musical meditation or listen to other music for 12 minutes a day for three months, and then consider continuing for an additional three months. Scientists measured the memory and cognitive function of the 53 participants that completed the six-month study and found significant improvements in both measurements at the three-month mark. At six months, the subjects in both groups had maintained or improved upon their initial results.

Researchers from Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, have found that regular yoga practice can help reduce anxiety and depression in young women with eating disorders. The scientists followed 20 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 that were enrolled in an outpatient eating disorder clinic that comprised the larger control group.

Those selected agreed to participate in a weekly yoga class and complete questionnaires after six and 12 weeks, assessing their anxiety, depression and mood. Of those that started the study, five attended all 12 yoga classes and six completed between seven and 11 classes. Researchers found decreases in anxiety, depression and negative thoughts among those that participated in the yoga classes, with no negative side effects.

Another study from the University of Delaware, in Newark, supports these results. Half of the 38 residential eating disorder treatment program participants did one hour of yoga prior to dinner for five days and the other half did not. The yoga group showed significant reductions in pre-meal anxiety compared to the control group.

Sensory isolation in a floatation tank is known for inducing deep relaxation with subsequent improved health. A 2014 study published in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry investigating the effects in a series of flotation tank treatments for 65 participants, showed it to be an effective measure in decreasing stress, depression, anxiety and pain, while enhancing a sense of optimism and quality of sleep.

The Book of Floating: Exploring the Private Sea, by Michael Hutchison, reports on 20th-century research suggesting the therapy can help allay ailments like chronic pain, migraines and sore muscles. There’s also evidence for enhanced meditation, creativity and spiritual experiences.

Float therapy was invented by Dr. John C. Lilly, a neurophysiology specialist. The individual enters an enclosed tank containing 11 inches of water heated to 93.5 degrees—the normal temperature of human skin—and some 1,000 pounds of Epsom salt. The effect is like buoyantly floating in the Dead Sea, but in a clean, quiet, private realm. The water is typically filtered three to five times between each session and sanitized using UV light; some also use peroxide and ozone gas to purify the water.

Without any sensory input—no sight, sound or tactile sensations—the floater typically enters a profound deeply calm state of theta brain waves that tends to surface the subconscious. It can take experienced meditators years to learn to consistently achieve this condition, remarks Bryan Gray, of Float North County, a spa in Solana Beach, California.

Ultimate Meditation Venue

Scientific research has shown that floating can release the feel-good neurotransmitters endorphins and dopamine, and lower the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Studies performed by the Laureate Institute of Brain Research, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which maintains a float clinic, have found the therapy is an effective treatment for patients with anxiety disorders.

“It frees your mind of distraction and puts it in a zone,” explains Gray. “It removes the need for fight or flight, so those hormones are reduced. That part of the brain mellows out.”

Marvelous Magnesium

Lying for an hour in water infused with Epsom salt, or magnesium sulfate, the body receives a huge infusion of magnesium, a mineral essential to optimal health. While calcium and vitamin D deficiencies get more attention, it’s even more likely most of us are low on this element due to magnesium-depleting drugs and inadequate farm soils. Many of the ailments that the cumulative research shows that floating is known to help have been linked to magnesium deficiency. The mineral is also essential for heart health, strong bones and central nervous system function, as reported in The Magnesium Miracle, by Dr. Carolyn Dean, a physician and naturopath in Kihei, Hawaii.

Wide-Ranging Healings

Chronic pain sufferers often find relief from floating because the lessened gravity allows the body to fully relax. The accompanying serenity releases the brain’s natural endorphins, which act as natural painkillers, into the bloodstream, reports Hutchison.

The sheer tranquility of floating can alleviate some mental health issues. “We’ve treated several people with post-traumatic stress disorder. One man has returned six times and says he’s advanced more in the last three months while floating than he did in the prior five to 10 years,” says Andy Larson, owner of Float Milwaukee.

Athletes also appreciate floating because it shortens injury recovery periods through enhancing blood flow, helping to heal sore muscles. The way it facilitates a calm state ideal for implanting ideas into the subconscious mind, enables them to better visualize improved performance.

Discoveries Within

Floaters can fall into what sleep specialists call the hypnagogic state, meaning they are apt to have lucid dreams while awake. Also known as Stage 1 sleep, it is the drowsiest condition we experience while still consciously aware. This is the scientific explanation for reports of visions or “eureka” problem-solving moments in the tank, says Hutchison.

This phenomenon can be especially beneficial for creative artists. “We have a girl that always emerges from the tank with an idea for a new painting,” says Gray. He also regularly hosts a composer that has worked with famous singers, who has experienced innovative breakthroughs while floating.

Floating is among the rare healing modalities that can benefit body, mind and spirit in just one hour, with repeat benefits.

Gina McGalliard is a freelance writer in San Diego, CA. Connect at GinaMcGalliard.com.

Excess in Food and Tap Water Harm Pets

by Karen Becker

In 2009, an Environmental Working Group (EWG) study found that bone meal and animal byproducts in eight of 10 major national dog food brands contain fluoride in amounts between 1.6 and 2.5 times higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended maximum dose in drinking water. Some fluoride from tap water used in the manufacturing of pet food contributes to this.

Olga Naidenko, Ph.D., lead researcher of the study, remarks, “A failed regulatory system and suspect practices by some in the pet food industry puts countless dogs at risk by ingesting excessive fluoride.”

Fluoride occurs naturally in rocks, soil and thus some food plants and water supplies. More enters food via use of fluoride-based pesticides and commercial processing facilities. The EWG advises that two-thirds of all Americans, along with pets and farm animals, are exposed to artificially fluoridated tap water.

Fluoride Dangers to Humans

While fluoride exposure hasn’t been studied in dogs or cats, according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, ample research points to the dangers of fluoride to human health, including:

Arthritis

Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)

Bone fractures

Brain damage and lowered IQ

Damaged sperm and increased infertility

Dementia

Disrupted immune system

Disrupted synthesis of collagen

Genetic damage and cell death

Hyperactivity and/or lethargy

Impaired sleep (inhibits melatonin produced by the pineal gland)

Deactivation of 62 enzymes

Increased lead absorption

Increased tumor and cancer rate

Inhibited formation of antibodies

Lowered thyroid function

Muscle disorders

Fluoride Dangers to Canines

Dogs are at substantial long-term risk for exposure to unacceptably high levels of fluoride. They are, for example, at significantly higher probability for bone cancer than humans, with more than 8,000 cases diagnosed each year in the U.S., compared with about 900 human cases.

According to the EWG, a dog drinking normal amounts of tap water would be exposed to 0.05 to0.1 milligram (mg) of fluoride per kilogram (kg) of body weight daily. A 10-pound puppy that daily eats about a cup of dog food would ingest approximately 0.25 mg fluoride per kg body weight a day, based on average fluoride content in the eight contaminated brands it tested. Altogether, the puppy could be exposed to 3.5 times more fluoride than the EPA allows in drinking water. Large breed puppies may be exposed to even more fluoride due to higher water intake.

Whatever the size and the appetite of a dog, combined fluoride exposure from food and water can easily become unsafe. Eating the same food every day, they may be constantly consuming more fluoride than is healthy for normal growth, leading to health problems and higher veterinary bills later in life.

Prevent High Ingestion of Fluoride

The EWG recommends owners purchase pet foods free of bone meal and other meals made from animal byproducts. It also suggests that government set fluoride limits in pet food that protect both puppies and large breeds most at risk for bone cancer.

Dr. Michael W. Fox, an internationally recognized veterinarian and former vice president of the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, recommends providing pets with fluoride-free water; spring water or reverse osmosis filtered water also works well.

In preparing homemade food for a pet, make sure any added bone meal is free of fluoride and lead. Ethical bone meal producers will test for these contaminants; verify with the source.

Fox attests that bones from longer-lived food animals such as dairy cows, laying hens and breeding stock likely contain higher levels of fluoride than shorter-lived animals like chickens, calves and lambs. In his article “Fluoride in Pet Food: A Serious Health Risk for Both Dogs and Cats?” he writes: “Fluorides accumulate in farmed animals over time from phosphate fertilizers, phosphate supplements, bone meal and fish meal supplements and pesticide and industrial-pollution-contaminated pastures and animal feed. The bones, fins, gills and scales of fish are often high in fluoride.” He recommends raw food diets that avoid ground bone from older animals like beef cattle and adult sheep.

In 2008, the Sebastopol, California filmmaking team of Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo created Science and Nonduality (SAND), which later became a nonprofit organization aimed at fostering a new relationship with spirituality that is free from religious dogma, based on timeless wisdom traditions, informed by cutting-edge science and grounded in direct experience.

The next year, they organized the first SAND conference, exploring nonduality and the nature of consciousness. Since then, the duo has been producing short films that contribute to the expansion of human awareness, and hosting annual conferences in the U.S. and Europe involving leading scientists, academics and other pioneering thinkers.

Thousands of participants from around the world interact in forums and respectful dialogues with luminaries such as Menas Kafatos, Ph.D., a professor of computational physics at Chapman University, in Orange, California; Peter Russell, a theoretical physicist and author of From Science to God: A Physicist’s Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness; Robert Thurman, Ph.D., professor of Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University, in New York City; evolutionary biologist Elisabet Sahtouris, author of EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution; and Robert Lanza, physician, scientist and co-author of Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe.

Where do revelations about a deeper reality begin?

MB: Individual and communal explorations often occur around life’s big questions, such as what it means to be conscious and to seek meaning and purpose; the possible place of intuition as the edge where knowledge meets the unknown and unknowable; and how crucial individual awakening is to social transformation.

What is meant by nonduality?

ZB: Nonduality is the philosophical, spiritual and scientific understanding of fundamental oneness in which there is no separation. Through quantum mechanics, Western science has reached an understanding of what Eastern mystics have long understood. Duality, generally determined in terms of opposites such as self and other, conscious and unconscious, illusion and reality, as well as separation between the observer and the observed, is an illusion. Nonduality is the understanding that our identifying with common dualisms avoids recognition of a deeper reality.

Until recently, human sciences have ignored the problem of consciousness by calling it the “hard problem”. This has led to our present fragmented worldview rife with chaos, conflict and crises. It may be time for scientists to accept the discoveries of the mystics and consider consciousness intrinsic to every observed scientific phenomenon. Understanding that consciousness is the key to the universe, reality and ourselves may be the missing link in bridging science and spiritualty.

What difference can exploring the nature of consciousness make?

ZB: Understanding the new science that points to consciousness as all-pervasive and the fundamental building block of reality—that we are all made of the same essence, like drops in the ocean—can change how we approach and harmonize day-to-day living. We can be far more open, peaceful and accepting of others. Absurd violence, as well as economic, social and political crises, could all be things of the past, based on a new quantum understanding of our interconnectedness and oneness.

How has the nonduality movement evolved?

MB: SAND has evolved into something we never imagined when we began discussing the ideas that the true spirit of science and spiritually is best supported by an open mind and a non-dogmatic inquiry; while science seeks to understand our external reality and spiritual thinkers seek to understand our inner, personal experience of consciousness, these seemingly different disciplines rarely come together in open dialogue.

It became more evident that we weren’t looking for scientific answers or proof of what spiritual wisdom traditions teach, but rather to expand the questions asked of both science and spirituality. Open-ended questions arise such as: What if space and time are just useful maps and quantum mechanics is pointing us to a deeper reality more mysterious than we can ever imagine? What if science and spirituality, while responding to our collective aspiration to grow and progress, would no longer need to carry the burden of having all the answers? What if we considered our search open-ended, rather then having to arrive at a grand theory of life or final state of enlightenment? What if, while we probe deeper into reality and who we are, we realize that knowledge gathered will always be just a stepping stone?

For information about the 2017 conference in San Jose from Oct. 18 to 22, visit ScienceAndNonduality.com.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

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http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_85450_rodney_yee_on_yoga_as_a_way_of_life.htmlRodney Yee on Yoga as a Way of Life

Simple Strategies for Staying on Track

by Marlaina Donato

Renowned yogi and international teacher Rodney Yee, of New York City, has maintained an inspired yoga practice for 37 years while juggling career obligations, fame and family life.

While the benefits of yoga are increasingly well known—from stress reduction and pain management to a more limber body and inner peace—Lee is also aware of the challenges to maintaining a consistent practice. Here he shares insights on the pitfalls encountered by both beginning and advanced students.

“My advice is to first get rid of self-berating behavior, including judgmental inner dialogue. In many aspects of life, we are constantly measuring ourselves against a standard, which is a waste of time and energy,” says Yee.

With a professional background in classical dance and gymnastics, Yee decided to give yoga a try at a nearby studio when he craved more physical flexibility. “As many people do, I came to yoga for a reason. I was a dancer with tight joints. After the first class, I couldn’t believe how I felt. It was not at all like an athletic high; I had a sense of well-being and knew what it means to feel peaceful and clear.”

For people with jam-packed lives, finding time for exercise can be daunting. Yee suggests a relaxed approach to scheduling yoga into a busy day. “As the rishis [Hindu sages] say, we shouldn’t ‘try’ to meditate, not try to force a natural state. To say, ‘I have to do yoga,’ just puts another thing on our to-do list. Sometimes discipline is needed, but another part of discipline is not about force.”

Different approaches to yoga abound, and part of staying motivated may include exploration of a variety of traditions as individual needs change due to lifestyle, health, interests or simple curiosity. Yee reminds us to go with the flow and follow how we feel in the moment. “Different schools of yoga exist because each offers something different. There is a form for all of our moods and a practice for how you feel at any given time.”

Reflecting on how his own practice has evolved through the years, Yee recollects, “In my 20s and 30s, my yoga practice was arduous, including three to four hours of strong, physical work and a half hour of pranayama [breath work]. Then for 20 years, it involved a lot of teaching. Over the past 17 years, my practice has become more subtle, with a focus on sequencing and meditation; it’s about how to do this all day long in the context of my body and my life; about being both centered and in the world. In some way, we’re always doing yoga, as we already take 20 thousand breaths a day. From a philosophical and ethical point of view, yogis have no choice but to practice.”

Because many American women have found their way to a yogic path, men often assume it’s primarily a women’s niche. But yoga has been a male practice for nearly 2,500 years in other countries. Yee encourages men to not feel intimidated. “Why not try something that can help you improve your business, your family life; even your golf game?” he queries.

While Yee believes in a no-pressure approach, he also suggests inviting ways to foster consistency. “If you are just beginning, set aside a half-hour before going to bed or get up a half-hour earlier. Also note that pain is less to be avoided than learned from.”

Wisdom can come from dedication to a yoga practice. Yee’s philosophy is, “You can blink and half your life is gone. You can’t always be busy, busy, busy; you have to decide how to fill your life. As spiritual teacher Ram Dass counsels, ‘Be here now.’ Train yourself to bring body, mind and heart together and fully drink from that.”

Learn more at YeeYoga.com.

Marlaina Donato is a freelance writer, author and multimedia artist. Connect at MarlainaDonato.com.

Plenty of people are pretty, but haven’t yet learned how to be beautiful. They have the right look for the times, but they don’t glow. Beautiful women glow.

That’s because beautiful is not about how we look on the outside; it is about what we’re made of and being “full of beauty” on the inside. Beautiful people spend time discovering what their idea of beauty is on this Earth. They know themselves well enough to know what they love, and they love themselves enough to fill up with a little of their particular kind of beauty each day.

When we are with a beautiful woman, we might not notice her hair, skin, body or clothes, because we’ll be distracted by the way she makes us feel. She is so full of beauty that some of it overflows onto us. We feel warm and safe and curious around her. Her eyes typically twinkle a little and she’ll look at us closely—because a beautiful, wise woman knows that the quickest way to fill up with beauty is to soak in another’s beauty. The most beautiful women take their time with other people; they are filling up.

Women concerned with being pretty think about what they look like, but women concerned with being beautiful think about what they are looking at, taking in the loveliness around them. They are absorbing the whole beautiful world and making all that beauty theirs to give to others.

Source: Adapted excerpt from Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton (Flatiron Books). She’s the founder and president of the nonprofit Together Rising. Read more at Momastery.com/blog.

The Aurora Organic Dairy pastures and feedlots north of Greeley, Colorado, are home to more than 15,000 cows—more than 100 times the size of a typical organic herd. It is the main facility of the company that supplies milk to Walmart, Costco and other major retailers.

They adhere to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic regulations, but critical weaknesses exist in inspection system the government uses to ensure that food is organic; farmers are allowed to hire their own inspectors to certify them, and thus fall short of standards without detection.

Organic dairies are required to allow the cows to graze daily throughout the growing season rather than be confined to barns and feedlots. Although the USDA National Organic Program allows for an extremely wide range of grazing practices that comply with the rule, Aurora was observed onsite and via satellite imagery by the Washington Post as having only a small percentage of the herd outdoors on any given day.

The company disputes the data. U.S. organic dairy sales amounted to $6 billion last year; although it is more expensive to produce, the milk may command a premium price of 100 percent more than regular

Food retailers are aiming to cut plastic and cardboard packaging by ditching stickers on fruits and vegetables, instead using high-tech laser “natural branding” and creating huge savings in materials, energy and CO2 emissions. Pilot projects are underway in Europe with organic avocados, sweet potatoes and coconuts.

The technique uses a strong light to remove pigment from the skin of produce. The mark is invisible once the skin is removed and doesn’t affect shelf life or produce quality. The laser technology also creates less than 1 percent of the carbon emissions needed to produce a similar-sized sticker.

Librarian Shannon Morrison drives the Digibus, a new, 40-foot-long Winnebago computer classroom that hit the road in January bound for Fresno County, California, communities with the goal of bringing free computer literacy and job searching skills to the public. It employs 12 computer tablets with keyboards and staff that include bilingual interpreters. The library bus was scheduled for one week at each of two different communities each month.

Finland, internationally renowned for innovative educational practices, is poised to become the first country to eliminate school subjects. Officials are making changes to be implemented by 2020 that will revolutionize how the school system works by allowing pupils to absorb a body of knowledge about language, economics and communication skills.

“We need something to fit for the 21st century,” says department of education head Marjo Kyllonen. The system will be introduced for seniors beginning at age 16. They will choose which topic or phenomenon they want to study, bearing in mind their ambitions and capabilities. “Instead of staying passively in their benches listening to the teachers, students will now often work in smaller groups collaborating on projects, rather than just assigned classwork and homework.”

Another new model of learning sparked by XQ: The Super School Project (xqsuperschool.org) is underway at New Harmony High School, housed on a floating barge at the mouth of the Mississippi River southeast of New Orleans. They’ve received a $10 million grant to work on environmental issues when it opens in 2018.

“High schools today are not preparing students for the demands of today’s world,” says XQ Senior School Strategist Monica Martinez; she notes that about a third of college students must take remedial courses and are not prepared to thrive as employees.

Retirees are volunteering at hundreds of nationally protected lands. They staff visitor centers, do maintenance, clean up debris and remind visitors to keep food items secure from wildlife. Last year, volunteers outnumbered National Park Service staff about 20 to 1, expanding the financially strapped agency’s ability to serve hundreds of millions of visitors

Nearly a third of them are 54 and up, contributing to the 7.9 million service hours worked in 2015 by all 400,000 volunteers. Volunteer opportunities also exist at National Wildlife Refuge sites, fish hatcheries and endangered species field offices of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

Sallie Gentry, volunteer coordinator for the Southeast Region, based in Atlanta, notes that Georgia’s Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge has a dozen designated spots for motor homes in its Volunteer Village. She says most volunteers are local retired residents whose working hours vary while RV volunteers commit to 20 hours a week for at least three months. In return, they get free hookups for electricity, sewage, propane and water. “They have skills they want to contribute, but are also looking for a social outlet,” notes Gentry. Cookouts and potlucks are common.

She also cites the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge, an important migratory stop especially for songbirds, as a place with great appeal. “We supply uniforms, training, tools and orientations,” says Gentry. “It’s a mutually beneficial investment.” She suggests that individuals apply for specific sites at least a year in advance.

Megan Wandag, volunteer coordinator for the USFWS Midwest Region, based in Minneapolis, cites the popular Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, in Bloomington, and the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, near Des Moines, as “oases near urban areas.”

USFWS Southwest Region volunteer coordinator Juli Niemann highlights the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, in central New Mexico, that has 18 recreation vehicle spots and an average occupancy of five months. “It’s a prime wintering place for sandhill cranes.”

“We are innately connected to nature, but need to provide opportunities to make that connection,” says Patti Bailie, former assistant director of Antioch University’s nature-based Early Childhood certificate program, in Keene, New Hampshire. Here’s how.

Get wild at home. Hang bird feeders, grow wildlife-attracting plants, start a compost pile and designate an area of the yard for natural play where kids can dig and the grass isn’t mowed.

Explore a forest instead of a playground. Without swing sets and toys, children create imaginative play, build forts and climb trees.

Incorporate active transportation into the family routine. Walk, bike or paddle. Rain gear and flashlights enable rainy and after-dark explorations.

Join a family nature club. At ChildrenAndNature.org, connect with other families that value and use the natural world for playing, growing and learning via their Natural Families Forum.

Nature-based schools provide a child-centered, guided discovery approach to early learning that appeals to kids, parents and teachers and offers far-ranging benefits.

For youngsters at Tiny Trees Preschool, in Seattle, nature is their classroom—rain or shine; tuition even includes a rain suit and insulated rubber boots. At Schlitz Audubon Nature Preschool, in Milwaukee, children use downed wood to build forts and fires. Students of Vermont’s Educating Children Outdoors (ECO) program use spray bottles of colored water to spell words in the snow.

Forest Schools

Based on the publicly funded forest kindergarten model used by Scandinavian countries since 1995, Tiny Trees encompasses seven urban park locations throughout the city, ranging from 15 to 160 acres. With no buildings, playgrounds or commercially produced furniture and 30 percent less overhead, “We can make exceptional education affordable,” remarks CEO Andrew Jay.

“Most of the day is spent exploring the forest. If children see salmon in the stream, we observe them from a bridge, and then search out the headwaters to see where they’re coming from,” explains Jay.

Nature Preschools

The launch of Earth Day in 1970 and America’s nature center movement in the 1960s yielded another immersive nature-based model that includes indoor learning.

The preschool at the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified Schlitz Audubon Nature Center includes three nature-focused indoor classrooms and three outdoor areas—two with manmade structures like a slide and picnic tables, and one left completely natural. Founding Director Patti Bailie says the children spend most of their day outside and teachers can take them beyond the play areas to explore 185 acres of prairie, forest, wetlands and lakefront beach habitats.

Public School Programs

ECO currently collaborates with seven Vermont public schools from preschool to high school, offering year-long programs for students in inquiry-based outdoor learning for up to four hours a week.

“We submerge ourselves in nature with a 10-minute hike into the forest,” says program coordinator Melissa Purdy. Students first learn safety protocols and how to set up camp. Introducing skill-appropriate tools, preschoolers whittle sticks, third-graders build teepees and lean-tos and high school students build bridges across streams.

Building Resiliency

Sharing space with insects and plants requires special safety protocols and preparation, but the injury rate of outdoor learning is no higher than that of indoor schools. “Children are building risk literacy—they climb trees, but only to safe heights; they step on wet rocks, but learn how to do so without falling,” says Jay. Classrooms without walls work because students have a sense of freedom within reasonable boundaries.

“In winter, we dress warmly and do more hiking to generate body heat. We use picnic shelters in heavy rains. Children don’t have anxiety about the future—rain means puddles to splash in and snow means building snowmen,” says Jay.

Developing the Whole Child

Outdoor learning naturally creates knowledge of local ecosystems, environmental stewards and a sense of place, but teachers also observe many other developmental benefits.

At the Magnolia Nature School, at Camp McDowell, in Nauvoo, Alabama, Madeleine Pearce’s agile and surefooted preschoolers can hike three miles. Located in a rural county with a 67 percent poverty rate, the school partners with Head Start to secure tuition-free opportunities for families. Pearce attests how exploring the 1,100-acre property fosters language skills. “With less teacher instruction, children have more time to talk freely with each other.”

Instead of loudly calling kids in, Purdy uses bird calls or a drum, which fosters a sense of peace and respect. During daily sit time students observe themselves as a part of nature. “As birds sing and wildlife appears, children see the rewards of quiet and stillness, so self-regulation becomes natural,” agrees Bailie.

Bailie sees how children in forest kindergartens express better motor skills, physical development and cognitive abilities than those restricted to traditional playgrounds. Natural playscapes change with the season, are sensory-rich and provide extra oxygen to the brain—all factors that correlate to brain development. Such benefits are reported in Brain-Based Learning by Eric Jensen,Brain Rules by John J. Medina and the Early Childhood Education Journal.

Kindergarten readiness is a goal of all preschools, but Pearce doesn’t believe a traditional academic focus is required. “By putting nature first, children are socially and emotionally ready for kindergarten,” she says, “They know how to conquer challenges and are ready to take on academics.”

Now is a good time to buy a solar system and get off the grid. Solar photovoltaic prices have fallen 67 percent in the last five years, reports Alexandra Hobson with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

It’s a boom period for solar—a record 14.8 gigawatts were installed last year in the U.S. Solar represented 39 percent of all new electric capacity added to the grid in 2016, surpassing natural gas (29 percent) and wind (26 percent). In the first quarter of this year, solar and wind together comprised more than half of all new U.S. power generation.

The Solar Investment Tax Credit was extended for five years at the end of 2015, so homeowners and businesses can qualify to deduct 30 percent of the installed cost from their federal taxes. Also, there’s no upper limit on the prices for the panels.

There are 1.3 million solar systems in the U.S. now, with a new one added every 84 seconds. Some 260,000 people currently work in the industry, double the figure of 2012. California is the leader in installed capacity, followed by North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Utah.

Technical Breakthroughs

In 2016, the average residential solar system produced seven kilowatts, at an average installed cost of $3.06 per watt, according to Hobson. A system costing just over $21,000 before taking the income tax credit yields a final net cost of $15,000. “It’s a perfect marriage for residential customers,” says Bill Ellard, an energy economist with the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). “The systems will produce electricity for about five cents per kilowatt-hour year-round compared to the average electric price of 10.34 cents per kilowatt hour tracked in March, 2017.”

New solar panel designs coming online mean even greater savings. Panels with built-in micro-inverters are cutting home installation costs for large central units (although their long-term, all-weather durability isn’t clear yet). A breakthrough at Japan’s Kobe University means single solar cells could achieve 50 percent efficiency, up from the 30 percent formerly accepted as the upper limit.

Ugly panel frames may also be a thing of the past. More aesthetically pleasing frameless panels are expected this year from big players like SolarWorld, Canadian Solar and Trina, with adapted mounting hardware. Producers like Prism Solar and DSM Advanced Surfaces are also working on frameless clear panels, with cells bound between panes of glass. These attractive clear panels are highly resistant to fire and corrosion.

Tesla, which recently acquired SolarCity, is marketing tempered glass photovoltaic shingles that integrate with tile roofing materials to make the installation nearly undetectable. Tesla claims they’re three times as strong as standard roof shingles and guarantees them for the life of the house.

Solar Works for Many Now

For an average household electric load of 600 kilowatt-hours per month, for example, a daily dose of five hours of direct sunlight and four-kilowatt system will likely meet demand. For households with higher usage, especially in the South and West, bigger installations are the norm. “Solar system sizes have been growing fairly steadily as the price has come down,” Hobson notes.

Thanks to Google Earth, solar installers usually know if a property has the right conditions; avoiding the fee for an onsite inspection. Houses with a southern orientation within 40 degrees of direct southern exposure are golden. Those with flat roofs work well because the panels can be tilted for maximum effect. Adjustable panels can also be adapted to the best angle per season. Panels can’t be in shade for a significant part of the day.

Rooftop installers can work around vent pipes, skylights and chimneys. If major obstructions are a problem, ASES suggests a ground-mounted array or solar pergola, a freestanding wooden frame to mount panels.

Solar systems heat swimming pools, too, offering huge operational savings over conventional heaters. They start around $3,500 and average $5,500, compared to an average $2,664 for a fossil-fuel heater, reports HomeAdvisor.com.

Determine if a state has net metering laws, which make it easy to sell excess power from a whole-home system back to the grid. Check for local tax subsidies on top of the federal 30 percent. The beauty of solar is that once the system is in place, operating costs are negligible. The lifespan of today’s panels is two decades and the payback is just two to three years.

Jim Motavalli is an author, freelance journalist and speaker specializing in clean automotive and other environmental topics. He lives in Fairfield, CT. Connect at JimMotavalli.com.

Want to age well? The answer isn’t in your 401k. Self-acceptance, a positive attitude, creative expression, purposeful living and spiritual connections all anchor successful and meaningful aging. In fact, these kinds of preparations are just as important as saving money for retirement, according to Ron Pevny, director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, in Durango, Colorado, and author of Conscious Living, Conscious Aging.

Savor Self-Acceptance

While most people believe adulthood is the final stage of life, Dr. Bill Thomas is among the creative aging experts that identify another life chapter: elderhood. “Elders possess novel ways of approaching time, money, faith and relationships,” says Thomas, an Ithaca, New York geriatrician and fierce advocate for the value of aging.

“The best chapters may be near the end of the book,” Thomas continues. “Once you appreciate yourself and your years, you can relinquish outdated expectations and seek to discover your true self. Then the world can open up to you,” say Thomas. “Living a rewarding life means we are willing to say, ‘These chapters now are the most interesting.’” During this time, rather than what we have to do, we can focus on what we want to do.

“Notice opportunities for interacting and connecting,” advises Shae Hadden, co-founder of The Eldering Institute in Vancouver, Canada. Talk with the checkout person at the grocery store or smile at a stranger walking her dog.

Cultivate a Positive Attitude

Our beliefs about aging shape our experience. A Yale University study found that older individuals with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those less so inclined.

Connecting with positive role models helps us release limiting beliefs and embrace an altitude of gratitude instead. Other life lessons can be gleaned from observing how negativity affects people physically, emotionally, and socially.

Holding onto regrets traps us in the past, zapping energy and self-worth; it also keeps the best in us from shining out says Pevny. He suggests a simple letting-go ceremony, with friends as witnesses. If possible, hold it in a natural outdoor setting.

At one of his conscious aging retreats, Pevny created a fire circle. Mike, 70, had been a dedicated long-distance runner for most of his life. Now plagued with mobility issues, Mike decided to let go of regrets. He brought a pair of running shorts into the circle and talked about what the sport had meant to him—its joys, challenges and camaraderie. Then he tossed the shorts into the fire, telling his friends, “I am letting go so I can find a new purpose and passion.”

Understand Our Life Stories

Creating our own life review helps us acknowledge and understand our most significant experiences and reminds us of all we’re bringing to our elder journey. Pevny offers these approaches:

Develop a timeline, dividing life into seven-year sections. For each, write about the strongest memories and most influential people.

Consider what matters most, from people and values to challenges and dreams.

Write to children and grandchildren, sharing tales of our life’s most significant events and lessons.

Record key stories on audio or video.

Explore the Arts

The changes that aging brings can mire elders in depression and isolation. “Older people need to be brave and resilient,” says Susan Perlstein, of Brooklyn, New York, founder emeritus of the National Center for Creative Aging, in Washington, D.C., and founder of New York’s Elders Share the Arts in New York City. “To age creatively, we need a flow of varied experiences, exploring new activities or reframing longtime interests from a fresh perspective.”

Expressive arts can engage people’s minds, bodies and spirits. A George Washington University study shows that people engaged in the arts are happier and healthier. Perlstein understands this firsthand, having begun taking guitar lessons in her 70s. Motivated to play simple songs for her new granddaughter, she subsequently learned to play jazz and blues tunes and joined a band.

Musician John Blegen, of Kansas City, Missouri, was 73 when he realized his lifelong secret desire to tap dance. When Blegen met the then 87-year-old Billie Mahoney, Kansas City’s “Queen of Tap,” he blurted out his wish and fear of being “too old.” She just laughed and urged him to sign up for her adult beginner class. He asked for tap shoes for Christmas and happily shuffle-stepped his way through three sessions of lessons.

Which senses do I most like to engage? Do I enjoy looking at art or listening to music? Do I like sharing feelings and experiences? If so, a thrill may come from writing stories or plays, acting or storytelling.

As a child, what did I yearn to do; maybe play the piano, paint or engineer a train set? Now is the time to turn those dreams into reality.

How can I reframe my life in a positive way when I can no longer do activities I love? If dancing was my focus before, how do I re-channel that energy and passion? If puttering in the garden is too strenuous, what other outdoor interests can I pursue?

The answers can lead to fresh settings, including local community centers and places of worship. Many universities have extension classes for lifelong learners. State arts councils support programs, and museums and libraries host helpful activities. Shepherd Centers encourage community learning and Road Scholar caters to elders that prefer to travel and study.

Discover a Purpose

Upon retirement some people feel purposeless and lost. They yearn for something that offers up excitement, energy and joy. Hadden invites people to be curious and explore options. “We’re designing our future around who we are and what we care about now,” she says.

Try keeping a journal for several weeks. Jot down issues and ideas that intrigue, aggravate and haunt. After several weeks, reflect on the links between concerns that compel and those that irritate. Perhaps we’re intrigued by a certain group of people or compelling issue.

“A concern points to problems and people you want to help,” Hadden observes. This can range from lending a hand to struggling family members, maintaining our own health, volunteering for a literacy project or working to reduce world hunger. “Choose what inspires you to get out of bed each day, eager to move into action.”

Develop Inner Frontiers

People in their elder years may still be measured by midlife standards, which include physical power, productivity and achievement. “They come up short in the eyes of younger people,” dharma practitioner Kathleen Dowling Singh remarks. “But those standards do not define a human life.”

Rather, aging allows us to disengage from the pressures of appearances and accomplishments. As we release judgments and unwanted habits, we can increase our feelings of spirituality and peace. “When doors in the outer world seem to be closing, it’s time to cultivate inner resources that offer us joy and meaning. We have the beautiful privilege of slowing down and hearing what our heart is saying,” says Singh, of Sarasota, Florida.

Meditation is one way to deepen spiritually as we age. “Sit in solitude, gather your scattered thoughts and set an intention,” Singh suggests. “A daily practice shows what peace, silence and contentment feel like. As you become more comfortable, add time until you’re sitting for 20 to 40 minutes.”

Acknowledge Our Shelf Life

“We cannot speak about aging and awakening without speaking about death and dying,” Singh believes. “We need to confront our mortality.”

Meditating on the coming transition opens us up to the blessings of this life. We can ask ourselves deep questions such as, “What am I doing? What do I want? What does this all mean? What is spirit?” Singh believes such searching questions are vital. None of us knows how much Earth time we have to awaken to a deeper, fuller experience of the sacred.

Help the World

In today’s world of chaos and crisis, the wisdom of elders is more important than ever. “Older people need to be engaged, using their insights to help the Earth, community and world,” Pevny says. Creative aging is about improving the future for subsequent generations.

In 2008, longtime educator Nora Ellen Richard, age 70, of Overland Park, Kansas, wanted to be of greater service. She asked herself, “What if I housed a foreign student?” and found the International Student Homestay Program. She embarked on exploration of cultures from around the world without leaving home.

Today, Richard has hosted more than a dozen female students and each relationship has expanded and enriched her life. “We talk about politics, food, religion and cultures; we even pray together.” Richard says. She points to memorable moments of bonding and respect, appreciation and celebration and says, “As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned how vital it is to nurture the world I am in.”

Deborah Shouse is a writer, speaker, editor and dementia advocate. Her newest book is Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together. Connect at DementiaJourney.org.

Eat, play, party… and repeat. We may call it tailgating, fangating, homegating, a watch party or simply eating with friends before a big game. According to the American Tailgaters Association, in St. Paul, Minnesota, an estimated 50 million Americans tailgate annually.

Whether we’re on the road or at home, making the menu healthy is a winning strategy for hosts and guests. Here, two experts divulge their winning ways.

Says Debbie Moose, author of Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home, Ivy League schools like Princeton and Yale claim credit for a pregame picnic that 19th-century sports fans packed into their horse and buggy for local road trips. Moose lives in the tailgate trifecta of the North Carolina triangle, home to Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest universities. She enjoyed discovering that University of Washington sports fans from the Seattle area like to sail to their chosen picnic spots, while University of Hawaii folks grill fish on hibachis in Honolulu.

Moose naturally prefers healthy Southern-style fare such as deviled eggs and marinated green bean salad, which can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. “At the game or at home, your guests will be moving around, so go for foods that can be eaten with one hand,” she suggests.

She also plans her menu around color, universal appeal and variety because it’s healthier than just serving a mound of barbecued chicken wings and a big bowl of potato chips. She also likes recipes that can do double duty; her black bean summer salad with cherry tomatoes and corn can function as a colorful side dish or as a salsa for non-GMO blue corn chips. “Recipes that you can do ahead of time make things easier on game day; just pull them from the fridge and go,” says Moose.

Daina Falk, of New York City, grew up around professional athletes because her father, David Falk, is a well-known sports agent. Excitement-generating sports are in her blood and inspired her to write The Hungry Fan’s Game Day Cookbook. She knows that most of the tailgating in her area takes place for football and baseball games and NASCAR races. On HungryFan.com, Falk serves ups tips for every fangating/homegating occasion, from the Kentucky Derby to the Super Bowl.

“Keep your menu interesting,” says Falk. “I always like to feature a dish for each team. For instance, if you’re hosting an Alabama versus Washington watch party, you could feature an Alabama barbecue dish with white sauce and oysters or other fresh seafood. Both dishes are characteristic of the local foods in the universities’ respective hometowns.” Falk recommends buying more local beer than needed to make sure not to run out. Game day guests can get hot and thirsty, indoors or out. Supply lots of filtered water in non-breakable containers.

For easy entertaining, Falk recommends biodegradable dishes and cups. “Whenever there are a lot of people in one room, especially when they’re drinking, a glass will likely be broken,” she says. “Save yourself cleanup and the risk of glass shards by committing to temporary cups and plates that are Earth-friendly and compostable.”

When we hear the word “Chakra” it often gets dismissed as lofty or “woo-woo” in a sort of New Age-y, roll of the eyes, manner. In reality, the Chakra System is a proven, empowering and logical frame of reference for understanding the truth of our being, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It provides a thorough and accurate classification for decoding illness, emotional affliction and human suffering on the deepest of levels. With methodical knowledge reaped from a clear understanding of the energy or light centers in the human body, we can achieve profound healing for ourselves, learn what it means to be healthy and make the necessary adjustments to create a full and happy life.

There are differing systems that have their roots in Classical Hatha Yoga; esoteric Hindu wisdom; Traditional Chinese Medicine (as a basis for Acupuncture therapy) and Buddhist perspectives. There are new chakra theories being introduced with an emphasis on unique characteristics specific to the Western matrix and variances within myriad religious and spiritual practices. These differences often perplex and confuse however it is my experience that they all share common foundations, goals, and consequent validity. The more one studies and understands the basic philosophies of the ancient systems, the more clarity emerges and the ease of integration with newer models.

Chakra is a Sanskrit word for “wheel” or “cycle.” There are seven primary chakras in the human body. Each one bears its own significance to specific body systems, emotional components, the endocrine system and spiritual understanding or unfoldment. What has become widely understood and valued for its healing insight, is the condition of the chakras’ direct link to physical health vs. disease based on one’s psycho-spiritual beliefs and perceptions. In classical Hatha Yoga each asana (posture) is designed to tweak and tune-up specific chakras and glands – balancing the delicate hormonal stasis and creating harmony and wellness through the glandular system. This is why Yoga makes us feel so good, recharged and vital. It is a timeless practice with therapeutic benefits for everyone of all ages.

The education of and investigation by every individual into what have heretofore been mysterious, archaic structures, will have an immense effect on generations to come as we magnetize health and wellbeing - making it our personal responsibility and birthright. Relinquishing reliance on pharmaceutical drugs and medical therapies that actually inhibit health and wellbeing will be a genetic godsend to the restored vitality of any disease-ridden culture.

Destruction of natural immunity through the fear-inducing indoctrination of organizations that sell drugs and vaccines is criminal. Dr. Mercola, a grass-roots educator and New York Times Best Selling author documents, “Death by medicine is a 21st-century epidemic, and America's "war on drugs" is clearly directed at the wrong enemy!

Prescription drugs are now killing far more people than illegal drugs, and while most major causes of preventable deaths are declining, those from prescription drug use are increasing, an analysis of recently released data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by the Los Angeles Times revealed. The Times analysis of 2009 death statistics, the most recent available, showed:

For the first time ever in the US, more people were killed by pharmaceutical drugs than motor vehicle accidents.

37,485 people died from drugs, a rate fueled by overdoses of prescription pain and anxiety medications, versus 36,284 from traffic accidents.

Drug fatalities more than doubled among teens and young adults between 2000 and 2008, and more than tripled among people aged 50 to 69.

Anyone involved in the process of making, marketing, prescribing and subscribing to the administration of pharmaceuticals has blood on their hands. Including, but not limited to, the insurance industry, the FDA and the federal government. This is more of a call to action than a criticism. I come from a long family line of medical professionals, including doctors, pharmacists and insurance providers. We are all steeped in a system that is clearly evolving in detrimental and out of control ways. This is my opinion and conclusion based on many years of experience, observation and study in the western medical model as well as profound, even “miraculous” healing through the practice and wisdom of the chakra system, energy medicine and vibrational attunement.

No one will dispute that we are in a time of medical crisis in this country. There is increasing illness among younger and younger people, despite rigorous vaccination regimens. Perhaps they are a culprit? The good news is, that we have freedom and choice. We are in a time that we must advocate for that freedom of choice. You do not have to receive inoculations. YOU DO have many options for profound and natural healing abundantly available in this country as well as others.

Educating ourselves is a direct path to self-healing. The chakra system is a comprehensive example. Don’t believe everything you hear or read. Do your own research, learn how your body systems work and are intimately connected. Heal through nutrition. Find out what your body needs and wants. A consistent yoga practice keeps the chakra system open and balanced. Drink naturally sourced water high in earth energy and minerals, fluoride-free. Let go of beliefs and indoctrination steeped in lack in the physical body. Let go of the sources that broadcast such a notion, i.e. every electronic device, walk-a-thons and charities and behemoth institutions dedicated to disease under the guise of “healthcare”. There is a divine matrix dwelling deep within each of us. Tapping that well brings us into homeostasis, mind, body and soul. Take back your dominion. If we are created by Divine Intelligence, then we must be Divine Intelligence. Pranam…

Lin Weiss is a Holistic Practitioner, Educator, Writer, Mind/Body and Yoga Therapist practicing in Houston, TX. She specializes in Chakra Attunement; Homeopathy; Nutrition Therapy; Life Enhancement; and Conscious Curriculums educating individuals and groups in the healing power of the Mind/Body Connection. Contact Lin at 713.858.8595 or linweiss@earthlink.net

The Body Positive movement has created a shift in how we view the relationship between our bodies and our minds. Body positivity affirms that each of us deserves to love and respect ourselves regardless of our size, race, ability, and gender expression. For some who have been taught they’re less than because of their body, this may be a complete reversal of thought! Yogis struggling to accept and love themselves can truly benefit from asana class steeped in body positivity. The change in perspective can help them reap the benefits of yoga to improve their mental and physical health for life-changing results in and out of the studio.

When I began to explore yoga I couldn’t find instructors trained in working with folks in bigger bodies like mine. I desperately wanted to improve my connection with my body, learn about yoga, and create a lasting practice to benefit my health and wellness. I attended class after class with instructors who didn’t know what to do with my body, so they either ignored my needs completely or over-highlighted me in a strange attempt at making me feel comfortable. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. These experiences were incredibly disheartening. I wanted the yoga high after class, the epiphanies my friends were having mid-down dog, the joy of experiencing alignment and strength in my body! Instead I had negative experiences time and again, ultimately deciding that I just wasn’t made for yoga and spending the next 10 years avoiding yoga completely.

I eventually found my way back into yoga class, teacher training, and created Radical Body Love Yoga to bring accessible body positive classes to people who don’t feel comfortable and safe in traditional yoga spaces. Radical Body Love Yoga combines body positive philosophy and accessible asana options to create a comprehensive practice that helps foster students’ love, respect, and acceptance for their bodies. Through body positive cues, sequences, and pose options, I encourage students to explore and honor what their bodies can do in each moment without comparing themselves to other people or their past selves. The following are 3 tips for incorporating body positivity into your yoga practice!

It’s about the benefit of the pose, not how it looks! Every pose is challenging for someone. Your pose doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. You may easily slide into Child’s Pose and feel comfortable, safe, and happy while the student next to you is in pain, uncomfortable, or feeling anxious. There is always another option to reap the benefit of the pose. For example, Child’s Pose is a resting pose designed to help you feel calm, comfortable, and safe by creating a delicious C-shaped curve of the spine. Folding forward can be challenging for folks with larger bellies and feel unsafe for those dealing with trauma. That same C-shape can be achieved by sitting comfortably and gently tucking chin towards chest. For more support the forehead can come to a stack of yoga blocks to create a restorative posture that suits most bodies.

Props are your friend. It sounds simple, but many classes are not taught from a supported starting point. Try flipping the script and starting from the most supported version of the pose and then adjusting as you go. Start with a block, dial the height down, and let go when you’re ready. The important part is that you’re in control. For teachers, starting everyone with props means that people can try it with support and then continue or opt out. There’s no awkward walk across the room when you realize you really do need a strap for this Extended Big Toe, and many seasoned students find that they enjoy using props as well. Props are not for ‘those who can’t’, they’re a great tool to enrich everyone’s practice.

You’re the expert. Often there’s an emphasis on pushing through, working harder, or finding the full expression of the pose that can lead you past your edge and mean a physical injury or feeling like you’re not doing enough. Give yourself permission to recognize that you’re the expert on your body. You know when you’re at your edge, when you don’t need to push any harder, and when you need to not push at all. It doesn’t matter what the teacher says, if you trust yourself to know your own limits and needs you will gain more from class and have a better experience.

These tips are just the beginning! There’s a whole world of body positivity and yoga out there for you. Remember to be kind to yourself and always give yourself permission to give your body what it truly needs.

To learn more about Radical Body Love Yoga, visit radicalbodylove.com. Laura teaches four classes weekly at Studio NiaMoves in the Houston Heights. Register online at niamoves.com.

A Conversation with Dr. David Lerner of the Center for Holistic Dentistry

by Kazaray Taylor

A visit to Dr. David Lerner, a holistic dentist in Yorktown Heights, New York, may include acupuncture, kinesiology or even a heated neck pillow. But this kinder, gentler practice still offers all the standard dental procedures, and even the option of nitrous oxide for patients who are anxious or need a lot of work. Natural Awakenings recently caught up with Dr. Lerner to learn about the advantages of visiting a holistic dentist. Here are his top five.

1. A holistic wellness team

I often have patients tell me they already see other holistic practitioners, and they sought us out because they also wanted to work with a dentist whose belief system is based on natural healing principles. Adding a holistic dentist to your wellness team allows collaboration between all your other integrative health providers. They speak the same language and can work together on your case to treat you the way you want to be treated. If you’ve ever had to explain to your primary care doctor what a thermagram is, you’ll understand the value of using an all-holistic, integrative healthcare team.

2. Safe mercury removal

It’s important to work with a dentist who’s properly trained to safely remove mercury. At our office, patients are protected so they don’t absorb any mercury as the fillings are being removed. We put a rubber dam over the teeth so they won’t swallow mercury; we put a mask over their nose so they won’t breathe mercury vapor; we cover their bodies so they won’t absorb mercury through their skin. We even use a special vacuum in front of their mouth to suction away the air as we’re cleaning out the fillings. My office staff and I wear protective gear as well. We’re serious about this. We know mercury is really bad for everybody who’s exposed to it.

3. Use of safe dental materials

Patients should be concerned about the materials that are being used instead of mercury amalgams. Most mercury fillings get replaced with bonded ceramic or composite filling materials. These historically contained a plastic compound known as BPA. Then it became known that BPA is an estrogen mimicker, which is why we now have concerns about the type of plastic used in water bottles.

What happened in dentistry is that a lot of the manufacturers of these filling materials just reengineered the BPA molecule so they could call it something else. So when we test people with kinesiology to see if they are sensitive, many still react to those materials as if the BPA were still mimicking estrogen. Now there are some newer materials with totally different chemical formulations.

Holistic dentists screen their patients for sensitivity to any materials before they’re used—whether they’re for fillings, crowns, implants or dentures. All these categories of dental restorations could involve materials that trigger an immune system response or are toxic to the body.

4. Special precautions with root canals

There is a growing controversy about the limitations of root canals, and whether they actually eliminate all infection of the tooth. Often they don’t, and the tooth then can then become the source of a problem. One of our mentors, Dr. Thomas Rau from Switzerland, says that 80 percent of his patients with breast cancer have a toxic root canal-treated tooth on the acupuncture meridians related to the breast. When patients at his clinic are dealing with autoimmune conditions or serious conditions like cancer, he and his staff strongly advise not only that any mercury be removed from their mouth, but that any root canal-treated teeth be evaluated as well. So an important aspect of holistic dentistry is how we deal with a tooth that’s become infected or that’s had a root canal already.

5. Getting the bite right

Imbalances of the bite will affect the whole musculoskeletal system, and the balance of the craniosacral system, through the acupuncture pathways. Evolving methods for evaluating and treating this have always relied heavily on applied kinesiology, like muscle reflex testing. We’re also relying more and more on using computer measurements to look for imbalances within the bite—forces on the teeth as well as muscular imbalances within the jaw that can cause reflexive imbalances elsewhere in the body.

A common occurrence is people having a bite issue after having a dental restoration done, whether it’s a filling or a crown. The bite might be too heavy on the tooth that was repaired, or it might be too low, leaving the other teeth to bear more of a load than they are able to tolerate. Either way, the teeth become sensitive.

Bite imbalances are also a major contributor to muscle tension, which is the most common cause of headache. Even with migraines, we often see that structural problems in the balance of the bite will have an influence.

The Center for Holistic Dentistry is located at 1 Taconic Corporate Park, 2649 Strang Blvd., Ste. 201, Yorktown Heights, NY. For more info, call the office at 914.214.9678 or visit HolisticDentist.com

“Allow forgiveness” is the 8th way to ignite your life in my “IGNITE YOUR LIFE!” art project and community campaign (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) and the word associated with this concept is “FORGIVE.” Of all my “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily” concepts, this one is the hardest for me personally. And it must be hard for others too – I sell bracelets with the words on them and the “forgive” bracelets move slowly!

I was listening to the soundtrack for the wildly popular musical HAMILTON one day and heard this line: “Forgiveness, can you imagine?” It was in the song “It’s Quiet Uptown” and the reference is to a sultry affair and a son’s death. I like it because it asks you to imagine. Sometimes forgiveness can only live in the imagination. I have had times in my life when there was a situation that needed to be healed, but I just wasn’t there yet so I had to ALLOW it, imagine it, and not do it. I was open to the possibility of reconciliation but wasn’t ready for it.

However, I have learned that the thing about not forgiving someone is that you stay chained to them because of your anger. As they say in the rooms of AA, “Resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die.” It’s not healthy and it doesn’t ignite any positive change. In fact, it kills the person holding on to it.

A personal tragedy with friends inspired Dr. Shawne Duperon to start researching the healing power of forgiveness and to create the nonprofit Project Forgive (www.ProjectForgive.com), a global resource advancing forgiveness education. I got to spend some time with Shawne last summer and she told me that courage is the key to everything: not only for solving global issues but also to create personal change and to effect forgiveness on a local level. It takes courage to start the conversation and to be willing to change.

An important thing to note about forgiveness is that it doesn’t have to go hand-in-hand with forgetting. As the Dixie Chicks sang “Forgive, sounds good. Forget, I'm not sure I could.” They were still mad as hell and not ready to make nice! Sometimes it’s just that way. So, what to do when you’re angry at someone and not ready to forgive? I have two recommendations: one is to do what they say in recovery circles: pray or send good energy to the person whom you resent for at least 30 days. The second is to repeat over and over again the mantras of Hooponopono, an ancient Hawaiian practice of forgiveness. This is the order I say them in: “I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.” I believe that forgiveness begins with love and ends with gratitude. And if you’re not ready yet, here’s a handy quote-of-the-day from Shawne: “Forgiveness is a process. Sometimes the first simple step is forgiving yourself for not feeling very forgiving.”

“Allow forgiveness” is one of my 12 ways to ignite your life daily – ways that, if followed, will stave off addiction, depression, anxiety, and isolation. Being ignited for your life does that!

Having dreams is a common human experience, and keeping a dream journal helps to preserve these nighttime experiences that we tend to forget quickly. Dreams can include exciting activities that don’t happen in waking life, such as flying, solving complicated equations, listening to beautiful music and more.

Writing down our dreams takes a great deal of discipline and willpower, but it is a worthwhile experience. After waking from a dream, try writing down the full details as soon as possible. Even if it is just a word or a sentence, take the time to write it down in a dream journal with the date. Be sure to check the entries periodically and review them for any correspondence with the events.

Scientists from the University of California at San Francisco, and Harvard Medical School, in Boston, tested the effect of vacations and meditation on the genes of 64 women between the ages of 30 and 60 that were novice meditators. They all spent six days at the same resort in California. Half participated in a meditation program that included yoga, self-reflection exercises and mantra meditation; the other half did not engage in onsite meditation. The researchers also studied a group of 30 experienced meditators already participating in the resort’s meditation program.

Blood sample tests and surveys from all 94 women were conducted at intervals: once right before their stay, once right after, a third one month post-vacation and 10 months after the trip. All the women displayed significant changes to their molecular network pattern after the six days, with the most substantial genetic changes related to immune function and stress response.

One month after the resort experience, all groups continued to display improvements. However, the novice meditators showed fewer symptoms of depression and stress for a significantly longer period than the women not participating in the meditation exercise.

Researchers from Capital Medical University, in Beijing, China, tested the effectiveness of Cordyceps sinensis, a traditional Chinese medicine derived from fungi, on the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. They followed 120 subjects, divided into two groups of 60. One group received a capsule containing 1,200 milligrams of Cordyceps sinensis three times daily for three months. The control group was treated with conventional medications.

Health-related quality of life was measured, along with the incidence of asthma exacerbation, pulmonary function and inflammation indicators in both groups. The Cordyceps sinensis group reported improved quality of life, reduced asthma symptoms, improved lung function and a better inflammatory profile when compared to the conventional treatment group.

Researchers from Indiana University-Purdue University, in Indianapolis, set out to find out if massage therapy—typically an out-of-pocket expense not covered under most insurance plans—can provide effective treatment for individuals suffering with chronic back pain.

The study followed 76 primary care patients with chronic back pain for 24 weeks. The researchers measured pain, disability and quality of life at the beginning of the study, after 12 weeks, and again after 24 weeks of massage therapy. Each patient was referred to a licensed massage therapist for 10 no-cost sessions in a real-world environment during the initial 12 weeks.

More than half of the patients that completed the core study reported clinically meaningful improvements for physical and mental measures. For bodily pain, 40 percent were clinically improved. Older adults and Baby Boomers reported the highest percentage of changes. Those taking opioids for pain were two times less likely to report experiencing less pain than those not taking painkillers.

A study from the University of Washington, in Seattle, tested the relationship of immune system functioning to lack of adequate sleep. To rule out genetic factors, which experts say account for 31 to 55 percent of individual sleep patterns, researchers tested blood samples from 11 pairs of adult identical twins (genetic matches) with differing sleep habits. They found that the immune system was depressed in the twin with the lower duration of nightly sleep.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans are sleeping 1.5 to two hours less than they did 100 years ago, and more than 30 percent of working people average fewer than six hours a night.

Dr. Nathanial Watson, lead author and co-director of the university’s Sleep Medicine Center at Harborview Medical Center, observes, “Seven or more hours of sleep is recommended for optimal health.”

Researchers from the University of Rhode Island have discovered that pure maple syrup contains inulin, a complex carbohydrate that serves as a prebiotic. It encourages growth of beneficial gut bacteria and extends the lengthy list of beneficial vitamins and minerals contained in this natural sweet. Consume it in moderation, limited to a few times a week.

Scientists from the University of Oxford and the Chinese Medical Academy studied 500,000 healthy adults in China for seven years, tracking medical records of illnesses and deaths. They found that a 100 gram serving of fruit per day (primarily apples and oranges) reduces the risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by one-third.

Sussex University researchers in the UK tested the brain activity of 17 healthy subjects as they listened to a series of soundscapes from either natural or artificial environments. Brain scans and questionnaires found that natural sounds led to relaxation and positive feedback, while artificial sounds activated stress and anxiety-related brain activity.

Australian scientists have launched a project to bury tens of thousands of teabags in wetlands around the world to discover how efficient they are at capturing and storing carbon dioxide. Already, more than 500 citizen scientists are involved on every continent but Antarctica. The bags will be monitored over a three-year period, and then dug up and measured at intervals of three months, six months and each year after that.

Wetlands are important for carbon capture and storage, a process known as carbon sequestration, holding up to 50 times as much carbon as a comparable area in a rainforest; some are better than others. There are hundreds of thousands of wetlands around the world, and a standardized technique for monitoring the carbon sink is needed for accurate comparison—but monitoring devices can be expensive to install.

Faster decay of the tea inside the bag means more carbon is being released into the atmosphere, while a slower rate means the soil is holding the carbon. Once researchers can establish which wetlands are most effective at carbon sequestration, work can begin on protecting and restoring them, and ensuring they are not disrupted.

Volunteers that contact BlueCarbonLab.org will receive a kit containing teabags and information on how to bury them.

The California Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement Act, sponsored by Congressman Adam Schiff, is aimed to end the famous SeaWorld orca shows. “It means no more wild capture, no more breeding. We would essentially phase out the captive orcas that are currently in these water parks,” says Schiff. This means that SeaWorld must end their Shamu shows by the end of this year. However, the animals already at the San Diego park will continue to live there. Parks in Orlando and San Antonio will end their shows by 2019.

Under pressure from activists and faced with declining ticket sales, SeaWorld is now moving to end its theatrical orca shows and breeding program. They announced the unveiling of a new attraction this summer, Orca Encounter, as an educational experience.

Gabriela Cowperthwaite, director of the documentary film Blackfish, says that the new show is designed to make the audience feel better, not the animals. “The trainers aren’t safe, and the whales aren't happy,” she states. “They’re still just doing manic circles around concrete swimming pools.” The company is developing its first SeaWorld park without orcas in the Middle-Eastern country of Abu Dhabi.

Harvard University researchers led by engineering professor Robert Wood have introduced the first RoboBees—bee-sized robots that can ascend and hover in midair while tethered to a power supply.

The project is a breakthrough in the field of micro-aerial vehicles. It has previously been impossible to pack all the components onto such a tiny workable robot framework and keep it lightweight enough to fly. The researchers believe that within 10 years, RoboBees could artificially pollinate a field of crops, a critical development if the commercial pollination industry cannot recover from the severe bee losses of the past decade.

This year, the Whanganui River, in New Zealand, became the first in the world to be granted the same legal rights as a person. Equally vital, a court in northern Indian has given the sacred Ganges and Yamuna rivers, as well as several glaciers, the legal status of “living human entities” to help in the preservation and conservation of the country’s highly polluted waterways, thus allowing polluters to be sued.

These decisions are variants of “rights of nature” measures that date back to the 1970s. More than three dozen U.S. localities have ordinances ascribing varying types of rights to nature or to specific natural objects.

In America, rights of nature activism usually takes the form of ballot initiatives that emerge to contest the power of corporations wherever local natural resources are seen as being threatened. The first such ordinance was passed in 2006, when Tamaqua Borough, in Pennsylvania, sought to protect the town’s drinking water from the nearby dumping of sewage sludge.

More recently, an ordinance from the Boulder (Colorado) County Protectors, with assistance from the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, asserting the “right to a healthy climate,” was recognized as a federal constitutional right by Judge Ann Aiken, of the U.S. District Court, in Oregon.

Levels of highly toxic mercury contamination in Atlantic bluefin tuna are rapidly declining, a trend that has been linked to reduced mercury emissions in North America, according to a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology. Average mercury concentrations dropped by more than 2 percent per year, for a total decline of 19 percent between 2004 and 2012.

Scientists believe that most of that reduction has occurred because of a shift away from coal, the major source of mercury emissions, to natural gas and renewable fuels. Pollution control requirements imposed by the federal government have also cut mercury emissions, but these have been rolled back or eliminated by President Trump’s commitment to “bring back coal.”

Due to customer requests and petitions, more stores are beginning to stock the one in five pieces of produce that never made the cut before, due to quirky shapes or other blemishes. Often, these are displayed next to their better-looking, more expensive counterparts to give consumers an eco-friendly choice. The 133 billion pounds worth of misshapen or scarred fruits and vegetables annually plowed under, buried in a landfill or fed to livestock is sharply at odds with the reality that 48 million Americans face food insecurity.

Whole Foods Market created a pilot program in some of its California stores, testing sales in April 2016 with Imperfect Produce (ImperfectProduce.com), a service that delivers to homes. Walmart brought weather-blemished apples to 300 of its Florida stores to kick off their imperfect role in the movement. Five Pittsburgh Giant Eagle stores call their program Produce with Personality, and focus on navel oranges, russet potatoes, peppers and apples. Fourteen Hannaford stores in Albany, New York, offer the Misfits line, while donating unsold produce to local nonprofits. Hy-Vee’s 242 stores, located in eight central states, rolled out the Misfits last December.

Early American developers of Washington, D.C., and Savannah, Georgia, strove to recreate the plans of European cities that offered plenty of public squares and parks. Subsequent high-rise apartments in most other U.S. cities followed that lacked certain elements of neighborhood cohesion, as documented in Zane Miller’s book The Urbanization of Modern America. In Boston, Baltimore, New York City and elsewhere, waterfront revitalizations launched in the 1980s helped improve conditions; making use of nature-oriented ideas that are still trending upward.

Urban Hub describes how regions like Silicon Valley, in California, and Boston’s Route 128 corridor continue to enjoy mutually beneficial relationships with Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. The concept promotes pedestrianization programs and incentives that increase bike-friendliness, multimodal public transportation such as people-mover sidewalks and car sharing, plus off-hour, no-driving and park-and-ride policies. Join the social media conversation at Urban-Hub.com.

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently released updated standards on how state agencies should measure mass transit, biking and walking volumes (EverybodyWalk.org). States will assess impacts on carbon emissions by tracking walkers, bikers and transit users instead of just comparing rush-hour travel times to free-flowing traffic conditions, which favors highway spending alone.

The nonprofit Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (sbnPhiladelphia.org), encompassing 400 businesses and organizations, is pioneering a Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) retrofit program. The city water department is collaborating on Green City Clean Water’s plan to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency clean water regulations and foster rain gardens, green roofs and porous pavements.

Time spent outside is best when we’re well-equipped. Here are some basic tips.

Be prepared for weather, stay alert, plan ahead and have a trail map so you know what to expect.

Inform others where you will be and what time you plan to be back. Set a deadline to turn around and head back well before sundown.

Plan on not having cell phone reception.

Wear proper footwear and clothing.

Take a compass and a flashlight.

Bring water and well-sealed trail snacks.

Apply natural, reliable sunscreen (such as Think Sport)

Plastic-free water bottles.

Use DEET-free insect and tick repellant (For an easy home recipe, add 15 drops of geranium and eucalyptus essential oils to a two-ounce spray bottle filled with distilled water. Shake well before each use.)

Consider a natural first-aid kit. (DIY guidelines for creating alternative kits are found at Tinyurl.com/NaturalRemediesTravelKit and Tinyurl.com/AnHerbalFirstAidKit.

To many, hiking means long-distance treks through forests or backpacking remote terrain. “In reality, it’s more about getting out into green areas close to home,” says Wesley Trimble, of the American Hiking Society. “It’s about immersion in nature.”

Day hiking can be easily tailored to personal preferences and interests. “Excellent apps and websites list and describe trails in your area or community. We have a database on our site that’s helpful,” says Trimble (AmericanHiking.org). He’s personally high on old rail lines converted to wide, accessible paths (RailsToTrails.us).

A Trail for Everyone

Whatever our location, age or fitness level, a hike can provide opportunities for calming solitude or connecting with people we care about. Individuals with disabilities can also get outdoors at accommodating trails such as those at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, in Delaware. There’s always something to be learned in identifying wildlife and plants.

“Families can enjoy time walking outdoors together in ways impossible in other settings,” observes Verna Gates, founder of Fresh Air Family, a Birmingham, Alabama, outdoor activities educational foundation. “Nature aids in well-being in many ways.” She points to studies cited at NatureAndForestTherapy.org/the-science.html that reveal how trees emit enzymes into the air that help improve our emotional and physical health. “When I lost a child, the only place I found solace was in nature. Sitting in a patch of wildflowers truly brought me back to living,” recalls Gates.

Explorers’ Heaven

Following a lovely trail, much like inspired cooking, is as intriguing and delightful as we wish it to be. From wildflower paths to wine country trails, the great outdoors invites exploration of woodlands, glens, forests, mountain valleys, coastal areas, bayous, deserts and other terrain. Experienced day-trippers recommend revisiting favorite trails in specific seasons.

“I love being in the natural world, be it New Jersey, Florida or Alaska. Every trail offers surprises,” marvels distance hiker Craig Romano (CraigRomano.com). As the author of several day hike guidebooks, he’s seen firsthand how, “Every part of the country offers different perspectives and forms of beauty. The greatest biological diversity in our country is found in the Great Smoky Mountains, where the rhododendrons are breathtaking in spring.”

The world’s largest mapped cave system is in Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park. Hiking to observe other subterranean wonders in Indiana or Virginia’s Natural Bridge Caverns are no less exhilarating than walking Alabama’s covered bridge trail or painter Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch country, in New Mexico. The Appalachian Trail, running from Maine to Georgia, attracts thousands of adventurous long-distance trekkers, but such trails also offer sections ideal for day hikes.

Geomagnetic points in Arizona’s vortex region or America’s Stonehenge, in New Hampshire, afford unusual destinations. The wonders of California’s Sonoma County include Planet Walk, a scale model path illustrating our solar system. The Crater of Diamonds State Park, in Arkansas, is the only place in the world where hikers can dig for diamonds and keep what they find, although quartz diamond sites (precious stones less hard than diamonds) can be accessed at other U.S. locales. Coastal walks lead to discovering sea glass and shells. Arboretums in urban areas offer trails flush with local flora.

Joining or starting a hiking club based on common interests is one way to go. “One of our guidebook series encourages outdoor enthusiasts to explore the natural world in their immediate backyards. This approach especially appeals to families, first-time trail users and athletes looking for a quick nature fix after work,” offers Helen Cherullo, publisher of Mountaineers Books (MountaineersBooks.org), a nonprofit committed to conservation and sustainable lifestyles.

Wherever we venture, take nothing but pictures and leave nature untouched. Cherullo reminds us, “Connecting people to treasured natural landscapes leads to active engagement to preserve these places for future generations. The future of public lands—owned by every American citizen—is literally in our hands.” They deserve our vote.

Marlaina Donato is a freelance writer, author and multimedia artist. Connect at MarlainaDonato.com.

For 40 years, Social Psychologist Ellen Langer has conducted pioneering research on the power of our minds to shape health and well-being. Langer’s work demonstrates that changing what we think and believe can transform not only our experiences but also our bodies—a once-radical idea now common among neuroscientists. Her unconventional experiments often involve mind tricks: taking elders’ subjective thoughts back 20 years to reverse objective metrics of aging; fostering weight loss in a group of hotel maids by simply suggesting that their jobs qualify as exercise; and even changing blood sugar levels in diabetics by speeding up or slowing down perceived time during a video game session.

Affectionately dubbed the “mother of mindfulness,” Langer was the first female professor to earn tenure in Harvard University’s psychology department. A prolific writer and scientist, she has authored more than 200 related articles and 11 books, including Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity; and Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility. Langer lives, paints, works and observes the world from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Learn more at EllenLanger.com.

What is mindful learning, and how can we best practice it?

All learning is mindful; the only way to learn is by noticing new things. When we stop observing and get into our heads, wondering if that answer was right or if we responded quickly enough, we exit learning mode and enter mindlessness, where no learning can really take place.

Part of what makes travel exciting, for example, is that we are primed to experience new things and pay attention to them, but actually, newness surrounds us at all times, no matter where we are. What makes us mindless is the mistaken notion of already knowing, when everything is always changing.

What techniques, with or without meditation, can we adopt to change our mindset and mental habits to reduce stress and increase health and happiness?

Most mindlessness occurs by default, rather than design. If we all realized that through mindfulness we could look better, feel better, be better received and do better things—all claims that are supported by scientific research—it wouldn’t be hard to choose.

Meditation is essentially a tool to lead you to the simple act of intentional noticing, but many routes lead to that destination. One way to learn mindfully is to learn conditionally; to see the world as “it would seem that” and “could be,” which is very different than “it is.”

If we recognized that evaluations occur in our heads rather than the external world, much of our stress would dissipate. Negativity and stress are typically a result of mindless ruminations about negative things we think are inevitable. If we simply ask ourselves why the dreaded event might not occur, we’d be less stressed. Next, if we ask ourselves how it may actually be a good thing if it does happen, again stress would diminish.

How do the mental constructs we attach to our experiences affect outcomes of health and well-being?

Mental constructs are positions we consider as accepted certainties. When a physician makes a diagnosis, most people take it as a certainty and behave accordingly. Assuming that pain, decline or failure is inevitable can cause an individual to give up hope of complete recovery. But science only suggests probabilities, and if we understand this, we’ll go to work on a solution.

We have a tremendous amount of control over our health that goes untapped. Placebos are today’s strongest medications demonstrating this fact. Initially, placebos were frowned upon by the pharmaceutical industry because a drug couldn’t be brought to market if a placebo was just as effective. When someone gives you a pill and you get better not because of the pill, but because of your beliefs about it, you realize that what stands in the way of healing is your own mindset.

How have you seen these principles play out in your own life?

My fascination with the ability of our mind to change our health began when my mother’s diagnosed metastasized breast cancer disappeared, a fact the medical world could not explain. Since then, my own prognosis related to a smashed ankle from a Beth Israel teaching hospital physician with the Harvard Medical School, stating that I would always walk with a limp and never play tennis again, has been completely overturned.

My mission coming out of these two experiences is to determine how we can apply our mental capacities to increase control of our health and well-being.

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Every dog needs a meaningful job. Like us, some need help figuring out what they want to be when they grow up; others choose their own specialty. With imagination and experimentation, even a problem pooch can became an unexpected blessing.

Comforting Companions

A 7-year-old hound and canine-style Houdini named Gumby was adopted seven times, surrendered to the shelter eight times and thrice became a stray. An unprecedented 11 return trips to the Charleston Animal Society, in South Carolina, convinced the staff he prefers shelter life. Now his self-appointed job is comforting and helping new arrivals adjust to their temporary home.

Dentist April Patterson owns Dr. Patty’s Dental Boutique and Spa, in Fort Lauderdale. After attending a local Humane Society fashion show, she returned to her office with Oliver, a four-pound Pomeranian mix of undetermined age. This cutie’s job is to steady nervous patients. “It wasn’t planned,” says Patterson. “Oliver will bark nonstop when left alone, but being one of the staff makes him happy. Meeting Oliver is part of our hiring process.”

Dory, a yellow Labrador certified therapy dog, is approved by the San Diego district attorney’s office to offer aid in court when a victim or witness testifies in front of the defendant. “Dory was the first court support dog in California and the city’s first of five dog and handler teams,” says Kathleen Lam, a retired attorney and dog handler. “The dogs undergo rigorous testing to demonstrate good behavior in court. Handlers work on long downs and stays, including hand signals.” Dory recently accompanied an 8-year-old girl testifying against her father; he had killed his wife in front of her two years before.

Public Ambassadors

Deemed “too large to sell,” Bert, a chocolate Pomeranian, wound up in an Oklahoma shelter. Kathy Grayson, owner of The Hole, a New York City art gallery, saw his photo on Petfinder.com and fell in love. She immediately traveled to adopt him. Bert, whom she characterizes as quiet, refined and perfectly suited to the art world, loves being at the gallery and has attended art fairs in major U.S. cities. Follow Bert’s adventures via Instagram.com/bertiebertthepom.

“Edie, a boxer mix puppy, started training as an assistance dog, but her personality proved better suited to the hospitality industry,” says Julie Abramovic Kunes, public relations manager for the Fairmont Hotel, in Berkeley, California. Kunes’ Edie was hired by the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel in 2011, before making the career move west with her in 2017. A former shelter dog, Edie greets visitors as a community ambassador.

Special Rescue Teams

Mas, a water-loving Newfoundland, redefines “rescue dog”. The Scuola Italiana Cani Salvataggio, or Italian School of Rescue Dogs, is the largest national organization in Italy to train dogs and handlers for water rescue. Helicopters can often reach a swimmer in distress more quickly than a boat. The dog jumps out to circle the victim until they can grab her harness before swimming to shore or a human partner. Mas, the first certified water rescue operative recognized by Italy, France and Switzerland port authorities and coast guards, went on to train her successors.

Bloodhounds are renowned for their super sniffers. Lou, a 9 year K9 veteran, on Pennsylvania’s West York Borough Police Department force, ulimately applied for retirement, passing the harness to Prince, a 3-month old bloodhound. Prince was sworn in by District Judge Jennifer J.P. Clancy in her Spring Garden Township courtroom. The ceremony emphasizes a K9’s status in the community and within law enforcement. Paired with Officer Scott Musselman for eight months of training, the duo will work with the Missing Child Task Force.

Just as we need to create space in our daily schedule to nurture a new relationship, we must create space in our home to welcome in new love. It’s called “feathering the nest”. Think about the first time that your soulmate will walk into your home—what they will they see, smell and feel. Even an inviting, cozy environment may need an upgrade.

The underlying vibration or feeling of a place reflects the home’s energy. Whatever has happened there since its beginning, including arguments, illnesses or times of loneliness, have all left an unseen layer of negative energy. You could say that the walls “talk”.

To begin preparing your home to welcome a mate, first remove the clutter. Piles of magazines, stacks of unshelved books and excessive furnishings are blocking and keeping in old energy and preventing good, clean new energy from flowing. Be sure to remove all photographs and souvenirs that are reminders of past lovers; throw them away or put them in a box away from your home. These daily, unconscious memory triggers keep you stuck in the past. Clearing everything out is like putting out a cosmic welcome mat to the Universe that you are now ready, willing and available to receive new love.

Next, it’s time to dispel the unseen energies. The fastest, easiest method is the Native American technique of smudging. The smoke will purify the space. Light a piece of white sage on a small plate and when it is smoking (not flaming) run the smoke up, down and around every room, closet, door and window frame throughout the entire home. Alternatively, on a sunny day, open all the doors and windows and, applying a broom and imagination, sweep out the old energies.

Just as nature abhors a vacuum and calls in matter to fill the empty space, so making space in your home assists in calling in love. Consciously create “space” by placing an empty nightstand on “their” side of the bed, plus have at least one empty dresser drawer waiting for them. Create inviting space in a closet and clear a shelf in a bathroom cabinet. If you have a two-car garage and have been parking in the middle, pick a side and begin only parking on “your side”.

The most essential ingredient to “feathering the nest” is a strong intention to remove any old, outdated, limiting or negative energies that may be preventing love from finding its way to your door. Once free from unwanted clutter and obstructions, it becomes your sanctuary of vibrant, attractive energy.

Arielle Ford is the author of 11 books, including Turn Your Mate Into Your Soulmate and The Soulmate Secret: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction. Her latest, Inkspirations: Love By Design, is a transformational coloring book. She lives in La Jolla, CA. Learn more at SoulmateSecret.com.

The right natural pillow is a key component to restful sleep. In fact, pillow comfort and support are as critical to good sleep as the proper mattress. According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) (SleepFoundation.org), 91 percent of Americans say that a good pillow is key to their sleep quality. Investing in a high-quality, supportive pillow can be transformative, both personally and professionally. The RAND Corporation calculates that poor sleep among U.S. workers annually costs the U.S. economy some $411 billion.

Replace old, worn-out pillows. Pillows can harbor dust mites and their excrement, dead skin cells and bacteria that can exacerbate allergy symptoms. If a pillow is clumping, losing support or yellowing, replace it, says Michelle Fishberg, co-founder of sleep wellness company Slumbr (Slumbr.com).

“Quality, properly sourced down and feather pillows can be comfortable for those that like classic, soft pillows. Buckwheat and natural latex pillows each have unique qualities promoting better sleep. Buckwheat is therapeutic for back pain, all-natural and hypoallergenic, and reduces snoring for some,” advises Fishberg.

Pillow care. The NSF suggests using pillow as well as mattress protectors; PureCare mattress (PureCare.com) is their official source including a range of down pillows and its MiteTight protector. Organic cotton covers are kind to people and the planet.

Slumbr.com likewise advises using a protective cover to extend pillow life. Don’t dry clean pillows, because chemicals and heat can do damage. A down pillow can be washed, but it’s best to have it professionally cleaned by a down specialist every three to four years. Or wash them at home no more than twice a year on the delicate cycle, alone in a large or commercial washing machine, to avoid breaking down the down’s natural oils and structure. Latex pillows can be occasionally hand washed with mild detergent and air-dried flat. Don’t wash buckwheat pillows—if the hulls get wet, pour them into a fine mesh bag and air-dry them in the sun.

An estimated 18 million people in the U.S. suffer from some form of sleep apnea. From the Greek expression for “want of breath,” sleep apnea causes cessation of breathing during the night. Bouts usually last from 10 to 30 seconds and can occur from just a few times to several hundred. The main cause is the throat muscles becoming too relaxed during sleep and constricting the airway.

Two out of four people with the condition do not even realize they are sleep deprived due to apnea, and thus are at greater risk of suffering from both short-term ailments such as migraines or extreme fatigue, and long-term effects that include stroke and heart disease.

1. Lose Weight via Diet and Exercise

Most people find the problem clears up or is greatly improved when they lose weight. One of the easiest and healthiest ways is eating only fruit from morning until noon, and then eating healthy, nutritious meals for lunch and dinner. Avoid processed, sugar-laden and deep-fried foods.

Exercise at least four times a week. Doing moderate exercise for just 40 minutes has been shown to significantly reduce sleep apnea (Sleep journal). Use a medicine ball to follow a trainer tutorial at Tinyurl.com/25-MinMedicineBallWorkout.A mini-trampoline also offers a safe and effective workout. A brisk 20-to-30-minute daily walk is must for better sleep.

2. Sleep on Either Side

Lying on the back encourages throat muscles to close up and the tongue to fall toward the back of the throat. Shifting onto one side reduces this discomfort and potential apnea episodes. Using one pillow beneath the head allows the neck to rest at a more natural angle, rather than pushing the chin toward the chest, which restricts the airway.

3. Vitamins D and C

Almost everyone is deficient in vitamin D, even many in sunny regions, reports Dr. Joseph Mercola in his report, The Amazing Wonder Nutrient.

Wisely managed sun exposure supplies vitamin D—no more than 20 minutes a day, 10 minutes on each side—without suntan lotion. Alternatively, a high-dose of a quality vitamin D supplement measuring 5,000 international units is adequate, but always take it along with vitamin K2, which helps the body process calcium properly to avoid overdose problems.

Our body does not store vitamin C, so we need at least 2,000 milligrams daily to maintain good health. A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine found that vitamin C can reduce damage caused by sleep apnea. High-content foods include bell peppers, dark leafy greens, kiwi fruit, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peas and papayas.

4. Magnesium, the Master Mineral

From 70 to 80 percent of mankind is deficient in magnesium, which has been connected with prevention of degenerative diseases and mental health and is often the missing mineral in an individual’s wellness equation, according to Enviromedica’s Ancient Minerals.

It also regulates muscle function, including those in the upper throat involved with apnea. Organic foods and farmers’ market offerings may have higher levels of magnesium, especially those packed with green chlorophyll.

Liquid chlorophyll is available in most health stores. Start by drinking one glass (250 milliliters) per day for a week, and then take two tablespoons daily. Spinach, chard, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, kefir, almonds, black beans, avocados, figs, bananas and dark chocolate (avoid brands with white sugar) are good sources.

5. Helpful Natural Medicines

Just before bedtime, consume one teaspoon of olive oil (or organic honey) combined with three drops of lavender essential oil.

One of the best pure sources of omega-3—a top remedy for sleep apnea by protecting cells from stress—is krill oil (Alternative Medicine Review).

Sleep apnea causes long-term oxidative stress and puts severe demands on the body, which is thought to deplete omega-3 levels.

Lloyd Jenkins is a certified naturopath native to Canada and owner of the Budwig Cancer Clinic, in Malaga, Spain. He’s the author of seven books and many articles on treating common diseases using natural therapies.

A new paradigm shift regarding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) centers on evolving beliefs about the possibilities for those living with autism, as well as the unimagined brilliance they possess and their need for supportive help.

Everyone can benefit from the results of hands-on research and experience by parents and caregivers that are finding nontraditional ways to help special needs children deal with issues related to emotional and cognitive detachment and isolation. Momentum for this major shift in perspective is fueled by young adults that are telling their encouraging stories online and in books such as Carly Fleishman’s Carly’s Voice.

Parents of the one in 45 children diagnosed with ASD know that their lifetime commitment requires extraordinary courage, perseverance, patience, determination, emotional strength, outside-the-box thinking and unconditional love. These parental characteristics are those most cited by those that have mastered related developmental disorders, which they now regard as gifts, because they are thriving.

Dr. Andrea Libutti, author of Awakened by Autism: Embracing Autism, Self, and Hope for a New World, offers her insights for understanding the multifaceted nature of autism and the need for a personalized plan for healing. Janice Vedrode, a special needs coach, consultant and child advocate in Saginaw, Michigan, founded Spectrum Speaks and writes at JaniceVedrode.com/blog to inform parents about numerous issues regarding ASD.

“Because I live in a town that didn’t have an existing support group for parents with ASD children, I took it upon myself to get the ball rolling and advise parents that they need to build a dream team—doctors, therapists, special needs teachers, spiritual community, friends and family—that will make sure their child succeeds and lives a happy and successful life,” says Vedrode.

Wanting to help both their own two sons with developmental disabilities and others, Boaz and Minerva Santiago, residents of Pembroke Pines, Florida, became early trailblazers ushering in the self-employment movement for special needs individuals. Their Picasso Einstein online educational platform at SelfEmploy.org has launched the #JobCreators Bootcamp Training for parents and professionals and the #JobCreators Integration Program that collaborates with organizations, financial institutions and government agencies.

“If you focus on pursuing a business for your child for the sake of their independence, you won’t get caught up in only the business and money aspects. Self-employment allows even greatly impaired individuals the maximum opportunity to experience independence, not just in the present, but for the rest of their life,” explains Boaz.

He cites an example of a young boy with avid interest in folding clothing. His parents learned how to create a meaningful job for him by creating a simple small laundry business from the family garage. Although at the beginning he was only asked to fold clothing (which he already expressed interest in) his father now accompanies him around the neighborhood to pass out business cards and promote his service. Being in business has helped him grow as a person. “Begin by assuming your child is competent and make it possible for them to follow their passion and create a future they can be proud of,” advises Boaz.

Shining lights are leading the way. With her father’s help, Carly Fleishman, diagnosed at the age of 2 with nonverbal severe autism, wrote a book by striking one computer key at a time that described living in a mind and body afflicted with this condition. Still nonverbal, she hosts a YouTube radio show on which she interviews celebrities via a device that turns keystrokes into verbal language.

Kerry Magro, with Autism Speaks, a research and advocacy organization, answered the question, “What Happens to Children with Autism When They Become Adults?” in his TEDx talk, one of his many media adventures. Chris Varney, an “I can” advocate for children’s rights, won rave reviews for his TEDx talk, “My Unstoppable Mother Proved the Experts Wrong.”

Such powerful stories specifically relate how parents, grandparents and helpful friends forged networks that freed them and their afflicted children of the inhibiting stigma of autism and enabled them to realize their fullest potential. A bedrock philosophy in supporting ASD and other special needs children is to assume they are competent and learn to see them through God’s lens, rather than the lens of the world.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

Victorious warriors against cancer are speaking to other patients about their journeys of recovery and healing. Two who regularly speak to physicians as well are Glenn Sabin, author of n of 1: One Man’s Harvard-documented Remission of Incurable Cancer Using Only Natural Methods, and Kathy Mydlach-Bero, author of EAT: An Unconventional Decade in the Life of a Cancer Patient. Their stories demonstrate the healing effectiveness of healthy lifestyle measures still largely categorized as prevention.

Whole-Life Triumphs

Determined to become free of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia that had defined his life for 20 years, Sabin, who lives near Washington, D.C., appointed himself the subject of his own research experiment. He subsequently became a poster child for the remedial synergy of biological individuality, a whole systems approach to integrative oncology, and self-induced healing through lifestyle and supplement interventions. Sabin now dedicates his business development firm, FON Consulting, to advancing integrative medicine as the new standard of care. His mission is opening minds to the idea that knowledge, empowerment and self-efficacy are our best allies against a life-limiting diagnosis and we can do much to help the healing process.

Writing to Joe Biden regarding the vice president’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, he candidly points out America’s present pro-cancer environment. “The public has become conditioned to existing in a broken food chain that remains in disrepair due to misguided farming subsidies [and] untested or otherwise questionable chemicals (many of which banned in other countries) present in the water we drink, the air we breathe, food we consume and products we use. Current therapies or those in the drug pipeline won’t improve the 50/50 odds of developing cancer. What will have the greatest impact are consumer education toward powerful lifestyle changes and access to the building blocks of basic health.”

Mydlach-Bero made her remarkable recovery from rare and unrelated aggressive Stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer and a high-grade tumor in her head and neck. To tell her story, the resident of Delafield, Wisconsin relied on her 18 journals as a surrogate memory to chronicle a 10-year journey of courageous exploration, self-evolution, self-advocacy, and self-transformation that connected her with her healing potential.

Then the mother of two young daughters, Mydlach-Bero rejected a 21-month prognosis in 2005 along with the notion that disease and medicine would determine her fate. Defying the odds she applied what she learned from intensive research on: Avastin, a pharmaceutical created to combat harmful growth of new blood cells; and the benefits of growing and eating foods containing angiogenesis-inhibiting compounds that oppose such growth and so work to prevent, improve and avert recurrence of chronic disease. “Cancer hijacks the angiogenesis process triggered by inflammation and keeps it permanently activated to ensure that cancerous cells receive a dedicated, uninterrupted blood supply,” explains Mydlach-Bero.

For three years she largely consumed only items from the list of angiogenesis-inhibiting foods now posted at KathyMydlachBero.com/food-research. These include green tea, strawberries, blackberries, red tart cherries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, grapefruit, lemons, tomatoes, cinnamon, purple potatoes, kale, grape seed oil and pomegranate. In 2008, she completely replaced both the drugs to combat side-effects of chemo and radiation and a long-term medication for preventing recurrence, with healthful foods.

Her physicians were admittedly uncomfortable with her decision to combine chemotherapy and radiation treatments with “food as medicine”, Reiki, prayer, meditation, mindfulness and supplement intervention. But that didn’t deter her. To awaken others to the practicality of food as medicine she founded NuGenesis Farm, in Pewaukee, a nonprofit modeled after her home practice.

Prevention is Paramount

Pioneering physicians and researchers agree with Sabin and Myldach-Bero that comprehensive prevention, the key to solving the cancer epidemic, is missing from conventional medicine. Leading voices include Dr. Andrew Weil, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Arizona (AzCIM), in Tucson; Dr. Carlos M. Garcia, founder of Utopia Wellness, near Tampa, Florida; advocate Susan Silberstein, PhD, founder of BeatCancer.org, in Richboro, Pennsylvania; and Ajay Goel, Ph.D., director of the Center for Epigenetics, Cancer Prevention and Cancer Genomics at Baylor University Medical Center’s Research Institute, in Dallas.

Weil pioneered the earliest efforts to develop a comprehensive curriculum in evidence-based integrative medicine and the field of integrative oncology. “We’ve known for nearly 15 years that inflammation is the root cause of many chronic diseases. Since 2012 scientific evidence has proven that a healthy lifestyle and an anti-inflammatory diet can influence various cancers,” says Weil.

His curriculum for health professionals and the general public was the first to cite the role of a nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet in cancer prevention and treatment. “Health professionals graduate armed with a better understanding of the complex interactions between cancer, gut microbiome and nutrition,” advises Weil, whose paradigm inspires his chain of True Food Kitchen restaurants.

It includes lots of fruits and vegetables, moderate amounts of whole or cracked grains, al dente pasta, healthy fats and plant-based proteins from legumes, nuts and seafood as well as poultry and lean, antibiotic-free grass-fed meats, cheese and eggs. Plus he likes white, green and oolong teas, fresh herbs and spices, up to two glasses of red wine a day (less for women; possibly none for those at high-risk for breast cancer), and dark chocolate for antioxidant polyphenols.

Integrative Oncology, authored by Weil and Dr. Donald I. Abrams, an integrative oncologist, is mandatory reading for AzCIM students who learn to use complementary interventions in prevention and conventional cancer care. Subjects such as antioxidants, cannabinoids, energy medicine, mind-body medicine, music and expressive art therapies are covered as well as naturopathic oncology, plus the roles that community and spirituality play in prevention and treatment.

Goel’s 20-year career in cancer prevention research has produced a wealth of related articles. Among his findings, he advises that “Curcumin, a yellow compound extracted from turmeric, has become a gold standard for prevention and the natural treatment of many chronic health conditions, including colon cancer. It targets cancer stem cells, disrupts cancer cell communication, triggers cancer cell death and helps to prevent cancerous mutations to cells. It’s also been shown to improve the efficacy of conventional treatments including fewer adverse effects.” He recommends only taking turmeric products with BCM-95 percent active curcuminoids.

Customized Protocols

Considering each individual’s biological individuality as a Petrie dish Garcia’s studies helps one achieve an anti-cancer life. He advises, “There is no ‘one size fits all’ medical protocol box for cancer treatment. Customized modifications to lifestyle and diet are required because food nutrients directly impact the mechanisms by which cancer cells grow and spread. The right nutrition can reverse a compromised immune system, which research shows is a major contributor to the development of cancer.”

Whether for improvement or prevention, Garcia’s patient protocols always begin with a comprehensive evaluation appointment to learn about the individual he is treating. For cancer patients, his two-phase, eight-week program involves immune enhancing therapies followed by immunotherapy aimed to de-cloak the camouflaged protein coating of wily cancer cells so the body’s immune system can identify and destroy them.

Mind/Body Detox

To maintain good health, Judy Seeger, a doctor of naturopathy near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recommends a regular detoxification regimen to cleanse environmental and product toxins and toxic emotions. Through experience she has learned that individuals living with cancer need to substantially support their abnormally functioning elimination system to rid it of dead proteins from destroyed cancer cells and chemotherapy drugs that are overtaxing the immune system.

“Clearing out toxic stressful emotions that produce acid, weaken the immune system and create an environment for cancer to propagate is essential,” says Seeger. Fulfilling the body’s requirement for an ongoing healthy nutritional plan that maintains a healing alkaline environment reduces both the risk of a cancer as well as recurrence.” She has observed that when an individual’s healing process has stalled, despite their doing all the right things to improve their biochemistry, it’s frequently because they haven’t done an emotional detox and lack a felt spiritual connection to something larger than themselves.

Silberstein categorizes cancer as epidemic. She speaks regularly regarding preventing cancer and its recurrence at medical and nursing schools, continuing oncology nursing education programs and universities. “What is needed more than new treatment research is public education regarding the true causes of cancer and continuing education credits in lifestyle training for medical professionals,” she says. Silberstein’s nonprofit organization provides online holistic cancer coach training for health professionals as well as research-based education and counseling on how to prevent, cope with and beat cancer through immune-boosting holistic approaches.

The list of books authored by cancer survivors continues to grow, offering helpful insight into how individuals are negotiating the challenges of their healing journey. Two recent books, Surviving the Storm: A Workbook for Telling Your Cancer Story by Psychotherapist Cheryl Krauter, and Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools: We’ll Get You Through This by Barbara Tako, are particularly helpful regarding the onslaught of toxic feelings and emotions that stress the mind and body—fear, anger, isolation, anxiety, depression and uncertainty as well as loss and grief. Emphasizing the need for individuals diagnosed with cancer to tell their stories, the authors encourage keeping a journal. The act of getting thoughts and experiences out of the mind and onto paper supports emotional cleansing.

“It’s important to share the real story of the emotional storm that is cancer as well as the ravages of its treatments and invisible but lingering side effects; to tell the tale of the cancer survivor who is moving from patient to person, and to explore and discover who you are after having faced down your mortality,” Krauter counsels.

Changed Paradigm

Results of the Human Genome Project as well as the work of Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., stem cell biologist and author of The Biology of Belief, and other epigenetic researchers support the point that “environmental signals” that directly affect our DNA expression include our thoughts, emotions, belief system, exposure to sunlight, exercise and everything we put into our body.

Such new science shatters the idea that we are victims of our genes and environment. It shines light on the fact that we have tremendous power to shape and direct our own physical health. Our entire lifestyle is pivotal.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

The flip side of enjoying farm to table is taking the table to the farm. So-called “pop-up feasts” are booming at farms throughout the country during growing and harvest seasons. While the format varies, dinners are typically hosted on working rural or urban farms, last about three hours and include aperitifs and a tour before the meal. Wine pairings or beer tastings and live music may be among the enticing activities offered.

Gabriele Marewski, owner of Paradise Farms, near Miami, Florida, was a pioneering forerunner of the trend. For 10 years prior to retirement, she hosted more than 50 chefs, served thousands of guests an organic Dinner in Paradise and raised more than $50,000 for area charities. Periodic onsite dinners continue (ParadiseFarms.net).

“Many chefs are active in farm to table dinners on the West Coast. We also see participation among wineries, orchards, cheese makers and breweries,” says A.K. Crump, CEO of TasteTV, in San Francisco, which also supervises PopUpRestaurants.com. “People like to meet the meal maker and know more about the origin of what they eat.”

“I started Dinner on the Farm nine years ago to create unique experiences that connect people to the places their food is grown and the people that grow them,” says Monica Walch, whose pop-up dinners are served picnic-style for friends and families that bring their own tableware. Her company’s Midwest events, usually offered on Minnesota and Wisconsin farms, always feature local chefs, food ingredients and breweries (DinnerOnTheFarm.com).

“There’s nothing like being comfortably seated in the field where your food is growing and having the opportunity to enjoy it just hours after it’s been picked. Then, add in one-on-one conversations with your chef, brewer and farmer, as well as like-minded community members,” observes Walch, who grew up on an organic dairy farm in Minnesota.

Setting the bar for high-end, white tablecloth, adults-only communal events, Outstanding in the Field tours the country to offer a taste of fresh, local cuisine prepared by top regional chefs. They’re known for serving meals on long tables set up in fields in prairie ranches, olive groves or fruit orchards, as well as at urban rooftop farms or near vegetable row crops.

“Our mission is to get folks out to the farm and honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table,” says organization founder and chef/artist Jim Denevan. More than 90 five-hour events that include appetizers and a guided farm tour are being held from now through November in more than a dozen states (see OutstandingInTheField.com).

“Some of our most popular events feature farmers of the sea, and are set alongside the ocean or other bodies of water,” adds Lisa Supple, publicist for the company. “They feature local fisher people and oyster and abalone farmers.”

“Epicurean San Diego offers pop-up farm dinner events at Dickinson Farm, in National City, California,” explains owner Stephanie Parker (EpicureanSanDiego.com). “We strive to completely source our produce from the farm.” The veteran-owned, certified organic Dickinson Farm features heirloom fruits, vegetables and herbs grown on a large city lot. “We have focused on urban farms to inspire more people to grow their own food and to show that you don’t have to live on a huge piece of property in the countryside,” Parker notes.

Some pop-up feasts are managed directly by local farmers in partnership with lead chefs. Others serve as annual fundraising events, like The Foodshed Alliance’s Farm to Fork Dinner and Wine Tasting, now in its seventh year (Tinyurl.com/Foodshed-AllianceFarm2Fork). It’s held at the Alba Vineyard, in Milford, New Jersey, which practices renewable viticulture.

You could reasonably become suspicious from such a big statement and say: “how is it possible that something that is so difficult to achieve and that most of the time requires an entire lifetime of full dedication, could be experienced instantly without any effort?”.

The root of this question has a fundamental problem which is caused by a wrong idea of what spiritual liberation is. There are an infinite number of books on this topic, many misleading concepts that only lead to a distortion of our ego and to the creation of exotic ideas about the nature of the awakening to the Self.

Spiritual liberation, enlightenment, awakening to your True Nature, and so on, are just different ways to call the same thing: having a direct experience of the real nature of your mind.

All the greatest realized masters have agreed that the True Nature of your mind is not something that you artificially create with your practices, but it is something that has always existed within you.

To discover it and become aware of it is like spending many hours looking for your glasses and to suddenly discover that they were on your forehead. They have always been there. In fact, awakening to your True Nature does not take any time, it happens instantly. It is a simple recognition far less complicated of what you have probably believed for a long time. It is the discovery that you do not really exist in the way that you always thought. It is the most shocking, profound, and yet simple direct experience of the subject of all the external and internal phenomena that up to that point you have been referring to as "you".

It is not something so mystically appealing for the mind of the spiritual researcher that is waiting for some kind of transcendental experience. It is a human realization that can be achieved in this life, following the right instructions and methods. For this reason, all those New Age belief systems that easily create angels, demons, spirit guides, supernatural powers, are just a trap for the superficial mind that likes to be entertained with these appealing ideas. But the truth is that those paths take away the attention from the real important question: Who is really experiencing all of this? Can I experience the experiencer? Therefore, it is very important to find the right key to open the lock that gives you access to the direct experience of your True Nature.

The highest spiritual realization is not something that can be achieved intellectually because it transcends the intellect. It is a state of consciousness that can only be experienced and cultivated, up to the point that it becomes a completely stabilized experience. The quickest way to experience it is by exposing yourself to powerful transformative experiences that can help you break your mental patterns and your personal identifications.

You usually identify yourself with your personality, personal history, job, things you do, your body, your name, and so on. In reality, these are all parts of the trap that prevents you to see and express your full potential. They are all parts of your self-image, which has been created over the years based on the way you reacted to life circumstances. And the truth is that it has nothing to do with who you really are!

All the activities of the Yoga Music School give you the possibility of instantly experiencing and reconnecting with the natural state of your mind, and help you dissolve your mental and emotional blockages.

Through different experiences such as the Shamanic Journey, the Ecstatic Trance Dance, the Ecstatic Concert and the transformational music workshops, you are led into another dimension of existence which transcends time and space. You will have the chance to meet the “Real You”, which exists beyond the agitated activity of your mind. You will learn to connect to the higher dimension of your being and become able to express your full potential. Your attention will not be focused on your personal story, dramas and daily concerns anymore. And you will have the chance to discover what you have always been.

All workshops and activities will be available in Houston only in July 2017 and will take place in different venues. Some of them are reserved to a small number of participants, so if you do not want to miss this opportunity it is best to reserve your place. If you would like to find out more about the activities and book your attendance, visit the YOGA MUSIC SCHOOL website at www.yogamusicschool.com or send an email to yogamusicschool@gmail.com

Do a test for yourself. Stop right now and ask, how blocked you feel from having what you think of as abundance.

Now, what if abundance isn’t what you think it is? Could you allow yourself to be surprised?

In one of my group courses on the Go From Ow To Wow® Process for Abundance, a participant gave a great example of learning about her own block to abundance, and how it opened up a path she never expected.

This energetic woman worked on an hourly basis. She wanted to make more money and get more gigs, so she assumed she needed to drive herself to work more hours.

Through the process of working on this assumption using meridian tapping techniques, she realized she most emphatically did NOT want to be working harder and more hours. In fact, what she wanted was to give herself permission to take time off sometimes.

Although it felt scary, she allowed herself to turn down work and take free time. First she found she enjoyed her life more. And on the heels of making this change, she was surprised and delighted to start getting more and higher paid offers coming her way.

During the course, she began working fewer hours while maintaining and eventually growing her income—and still enjoying some free time for herself.

In my course I lead people through a series of lessons and exercises to help them discover what they really want--and what’s really holding them back.

Here are three tips from the Go From Ow To Wow® Process to help you feel your way into a more abundant feeling about life.

Tip One: Find Your Blocks

First, imagine living an abundant life, however you define it, and notice your positive feelings when you imagine it. Jot down 3 feelings--not what you think you want, but how you would feel if you had them.

Now jot down 3 negative feelings. These often pop up in the form of “yeah, but” as in, “I’d feel relaxed—yeah, but I’d also feel worried about losing it all.” These negative feelings give you clues to what’s holding you back.

Use your favorite technique for resolving them—in the Go From Ow To Wow Course we use Emotional Freedom Techniques tapping.

Tip Two: Identify Your Limiting Beliefs About Money

While I never encourage anyone to “tap for money”, money itself is a powerful archetype in our culture as a symbol for abundance and success. We all learned something from our family and our culture about money and the people who have a lot of it. These beliefs can keep us from true abundance, whether we have plenty of wealth or not nearly enough.

Think about having a lot of money and quickly jot down three sayings that immediately come to mind. Some examples might be, “money is the root of all evil” or “you don’t get ahead without hard work.”

Again, use your favorite technique to take the stuffing out of these long-held beliefs, and see what you notice.

Tip Three: Find Your Limiting Loyalty Promise

Did you know you’re living out a promise, or vow, to be loyal to family dynamics and it’s affecting your path to abundance? In fact, you may unknowingly be trapped by it.

Think for a moment about how the limiting beliefs you identified are linked to your family. This happens in well-to-do families and not so well-off families. And you’re probably not even fully aware of it.

Maybe in your family the loyalty promise was to follow the path of sure success in a profession that will earn a lot. You may have become a highly paid, overworked lawyer when you really wanted to open your own restaurant.

On the opposite side, you might have decided early on to earn your way out of an upbringing of poverty, but the more success you have, the more you feel you’re distancing yourself from your family. Your loyalty promise requires you to choose between having enough and staying close to your family.

Once you fully recognize your loyalty promise, use your techniques to come to peace with that recognition, and notice what surprising opportunity opens up for you—as it did for the woman who worked less and earned more.

Give yourself permission to discover what your heart truly wants in order to feel abundant about your life. It may not be what you thought it was.

Interested in opening the path to abundance in your life? Contact me at ange@tapintoyourself.com or 832-722-5955 to inquire about groups and self-led courses for the Go From Ow To Wow® Process for Abundance. I’m a certified Emotional Freedom Techniques and Thought Field Therapy-Algorithms practitioner.

I guess it is understandable that your skin, bowels, lungs, kidneys and liver are not at the forefront of your mind every single day; that they are the origins that can save your life if you take care of them. Why do so many people have constipation? Why do so many have kidney disease? Liver issues? COPD? Skin problems? Because the organs of elimination or detoxification are overwhelmed and when they are overwhelmed they stop functioning properly. Toxins are simple to understand, like electricity, they take the path of least resistance. If you have a weak area that is not able to combat the toxic assault our bodies are under,, that’s where the toxins land. If you do nothing about eliminating the toxins, that’s where the toxins will stay.

In the 1930s Dr. Henry G Bieler, wrote a book called, “Food Is Your Best Medicine.” Amazon calls this book a pioneering nutritional classic. What I learned about detoxification from Dr. Bieler is still monumental in my natural health practice: a. If your liver is unhealthy it throws toxins to the blood, and b. If your kidneys are unhappy and unable to process toxins properly they throw toxins to your lungs.

Your body is doing what it needs to do to help with elimination and detoxification. Those angry, red splotches on your skin may actually be toxins thrown off by the liver. The original detoxification plan is that your lymphatic system gathers up toxins from the blood and takes them to your liver. Your liver then processes them and sends the toxins to the bowel and they are eliminated. Now, if you do not eliminate in a timely manner while all the toxins are sitting in your bowel, your blood runs through and recirculates the toxins.

When your blood has too many toxins to handle they start coming out through your skin. Actually, your skin is the largest organ of elimination, and your body is doing what it is supposed to do. If your body is already eliminating toxins, using drugs to stop that reaction and send the toxins back into your body could be doing more harm than good. The real answer to the red, splotchy skin might be proper elimination. By not eliminating toxins through the bowel on a regular and timely basis we add to the toxins that are circulating. My clients often ask, what is normal bowel elimination? Unfortunately, normal is chronic constipation. We don’t want normal, we want healthy, regular elimination. I counsel my clients to have a goal of one bowel movement, per meal, per day. Think of this as a goal; if you’ve been constipated for 30 years it is unlikely that you’re going to reach that goal in a week, a month or even a year. The more toxins that you eliminate normally; the fewer toxins you will have to deal with by other means.

Kidneys are even more forgotten and neglected than bowels. While kidney disease runs rampant in our nation; how many public service announcements have you seen or heard telling people to take care of their kidneys? Okay, how many kidney dialysis clinics have you seen popping up in residential neighborhoods? Men and women of Hispanic and African-American heritage are the biggest sufferers of kidney disease. We have often heard that diabetes is the silent killer; I would call the silent killer: kidney disease. The non-profit organization The Kidney Disease Fund stated that in 2015 ”kidney disease was the 9TH leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 31 million people in the United States (10% of the adult population) have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Nine out of 10 people who have stage 3 CKD (moderately decreased kidney function) do not know it...” Is there anything that you can do if you do have kidney disease? Do you just wait until it damages your kidney function so badly you need dialysis? Those thoughts are just too sad, of course there are things that can be done.

Don’t wait until you break, detoxification is a huge part of being healthy. Whether people know it or not, building health means getting rid of the toxins you have accumulated. Drinking good water is probably the most important issue for detoxification and building health. Your kidneys need water to keep the toxins flowing out, most people are dehydrated and don’t know it. The small intestine takes out nutrients and after the leftovers go to the large intestine, the only thing it removes is water. If you are not drinking enough water it will reflect in slower bowel transport time.

When I say good water, I mean either spring water or good filtered water preferably not in plastic. If the only thing we are able to do for detoxification is drink water in the correct amount we will be doing something positive. Dr. Carolyn Dean is a conventional medical doctor and a naturopath, she recommends drinking half of your body weight in ounces per day. That means if you weigh 150 pounds you would drink 75 ounces of water per day. In addition to that she recommends that you add ¼ teaspoon Himalayan or Celtic Sea salt per quart. Both Celtic salt and Himalayan salt contain all the minerals of the ocean, which is exactly what our bodies need. Consider giving it a try, this way you will be taking care of a couple of those forgotten organs.

Nettie Ramsay ND, 281-794-5255, has a teaching practice in Houston, Texas and can help you with Nutritional Issues, Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, Nutritional Blood Analysis and New Decision Therapy.

In today’s society as a whole, we’re seeing a shift towards natural and holistic options for food, health and wellness. We’re seeing that with the purchase of organic foods, supplementation with minerals and herbs and with the use of chiropractors, acupuncturists, and traditional Chinese medicine as sources for alternative treatment. One popular trend in recent years has been the use of detoxes and cleansing programs.

Detoxing and cleansing can be used interchangeably but the main premise is to remove “harmful” things (toxins) from the body. And while many have seen benefits from detoxing, which can be in the form of a fast, diet, drink or powder, they are typically short-term programs, although yet effective. Improved energy, weight loss, improvement of gastrointenstinal health, decreased headaches, muscle pains and fatigue are some of health conditions different detox regimens can address. However, there is one form of “detoxing” that continues to have supported research behind it, as well as long-term effectiveness; and that is the detoxing power of movement a.k.a. exercise.

According to Medical News Today, as of 2017, the leading cause of death in America is heart disease, followed by cancer and with Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes behind them rounding out the top 10. The risk of those four conditions has been shown to be decreased by physical activity, by making the time to “detoxify” your body through exercise. But much more than detox, exercise is natural medicine.

Studies and scientific data show that exercise assists the lungs, kidney, immune system and intestines in becoming more efficient at naturally detoxifying the body. It enhances our body to do what it was meant to do, protect us at all costs. Exercise keeps our body moving, increasing blood circulation and the uptake of oxygen, and as a result, enhancing the body’s own detoxification process. The National Institute of Health (NIH) is jumping on the bandwagon and have since launched a $170 million study to determine exactly what processes occur inside a body in motion with the hope to finally say “exercise is medicine.”

FROM THE OUTSIDE-IN

Beginning with the skin, exercise has been shown to increase blood flow to the skin, which brings nutrients to the epidermis which helps wounds heal faster and thus remain healthy. In 2014, a research team at McMaster University in Ontario led by Mark Tarnopolsky, a professor of pediatrics and exercise science, found that people over the age of 40, who exercised regularly had healthier skin. Even more, the results of the study showed their skin to be closer in composition to that of 20 and 30-year old’s. The study involved skin biopsies of male and female volunteers ranged from 20 to 84 years of age. Half of the group were active, performing a minimum of three hours of moderate, vigorous physical activities per week while the others were almost sedentary, exercised no more than one hour per week.

Also, understanding that other factors may play a role in skin condition, such as diet, genes and lifestyle, the researchers took it a step farther and repeated a similar study with a group of individuals age 65 years or older. Again, skins were biopsied and the volunteers had normal skin for their age at the beginning. For three months, the group began a routine endurance training program, jogging or cycling twice a week at a moderate and strenuous pace for 30 minutes. At the end of the study, the volunteer’s skin was biopsied once again and the samples looked remarkably different with outer and inner lays of the skin looking very similar to that of 20 to 40-year old’s.

Although it’s unclear how exactly exercise changes skin composition there is a linkage with how exercises change our bodies including your skin and in a sense, make you look younger.

MUSCLES AND BONES

Your body has over 600 muscles, and these muscles help you lift, move, jump, pump blood throughout your body and even breathe. Muscles and bones work in conjunction to help you move freely and keep your body strong. Physical activities cause your muscles to work and as a result, respond by growing and getting stronger. Repeated weight bearing contractions of muscles then put pressure on the bones, increasing their density. Bone density is important for the prevention of osteoporosis leading to weaker bones. Like muscle, your bones are living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. Studies have shown that younger adults who regularly exercise achieve greater peak bone mass (density and strength) than those who do not. Generally, bone mass peaks in our third decade of life and after that, we begin to lose bone, which can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis. Exercising allows us to maintain muscle strength, coordination and balance.

HEART

Dating back to studies as early as 1959 in the British Medical Journal, Dr. Kenneth W. Donald found that cardiac output improved as a result of exercise, even in grossly disabled patients. Even now, studies continue to show that moderate exercise can lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type II diabetes, all three of which are leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

According to the journal, Circulation, by the American Heart Association, physical activity can make your heart stronger meaning your heart can pump more blood with less effort. If your heart can do less work to pump, the force on your arteries decreases resulting in lower blood pressure. Exercise also prevents plaque buildup in your arteries. Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to all of the organs in the body. A buildup of fatty deposits (plaques) can build up in your artery walls and possibly form a clot, increasing your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Exercise, however, helps prevent plaque buildup by reducing levels of unhealthy cholesterol (LDL’s) and increasing levels of healthy cholesterol (HDL). High-density lipoproteins, or HDL’s, detox the body by transporting fat to the liver, preventing them from accumulating in your artery walls. In Type II diabetes control, regular exercise directly favors your body’s ability to use insulin to control glucose levels in the blood.

BRAIN

Not only good for the heart, exercise has been shown to help detox your mind when it comes to stress, anxiety and depression, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Survey results from the American Psychological Association found that 44% of Americans are dealing with moderate to high levels of stress. Chronic stress disorders can lead to muscle tension and lead to chronic pain syndromes, respiratory syndromes such as asthma attacks and hyperventilation, cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure and heart attacks. In studies at the Harvard Medical School, aerobic exercise is key for your head, as it is for you heart. The benefits of aerobic exercise mentally have a neurochemical basis by reducing the levels of the body’s stress hormones (detoxing), such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of serotonin and endorphins, which are your body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators in the brain. These same endorphins are responsible for the “runner’s high” and the feelings of optimism and relaxation after hard workouts.

In relation to depression, the best evidence comes from a 1999 published study by Duke University that found that 45 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week improved the mood of depressed adults as much as those who took Zoloft, a prescription anti-depressant.

Exercise has also been shown to lower the risk of cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzhiemer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, a 2009 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, entitled Physical activity, diet, and risk of Alzheimer Disease, found that mental exercise can help reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 70%. Even more, further research has shown that women from age 40 to 60 who exercised regularly were shown to have significant reduction in memory loss and cognitive decline.

CHROMOSOMAL LEVEL

At the cellular level, exercise has been shown to slow down the aging of cells. A study in Science Advances in July 2016, showed that endurance exercise prevented the shortening of chromosome ends called telomeres. Telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes and the shorter the telomere, the older the cell. Every time a cell divides it copies its DNA in order for growth, maintenance or repair in the body and during this process sections of the chromosomes, called telomeres, get shorter. A factor called Telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) emerged as an important piece in telomeric integrity. Two compounds, nuclear respirator factor 1 (NRF1) and peroxisome proliferator, regulated telomere transcription. The study showed that moderate endurance exercise increased both these compounds and thus increased TERRA levels resulting in slowly aging cells.

When it comes to detoxing programs, they can improve energy, help you lose weight and/or clear your skin. As effective as some can be, they are typically short-term programs. And while detoxing helps with the short-term, incorporating exercise can help in the long-term. The one thing about exercise is that it’s never too late to start…and it’s essentially free: one can simply put on some sneakers and go outside. So how much exercise should I be doing? The recommended amount of exercise for most adults by the World Health Organization and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention is to do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week and twice-weekly muscle strengthening. As far as what exercise should I be doing? There are many options and all are individually dependent based on ability, but there are many choices out there including swimming, yoga, calisthenics, cross fit, etc., you just have to find the right one for you.

“Be of service.” is the sixth way to ignite your life in my “IGNITE YOUR LIFE!” art project and community campaign (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) and the word associated with this concept is “SERVE.” I have been sober 32 years and I learned the most about service in relation to my recovery. One of the cures for alcoholics is to get out of themselves and give to others. This is because it flips the selfishness of the disease inside out: the more you think about others, the less you think about your cravings.

When I was growing up, there was no need to pad my college application with a list of the 12,000 places I served. And, although we went to church sometimes, I don’t remember doing much to help others outside of helping my parents clean the house or the yard. So, when I got sober, I had to learn how to serve and discovered it was like a muscle: the more I helped others, the better I felt. And then being of service became a habit.

Helping others connects hearts and service and is a form of compassion. Compassion Lab (www.thecompassionlab.com) is a group of compassion researchers and according to them, “Compassion is the heart’s response to suffering. Compassion — from the roots passio (suffering) and com (with) — means to suffer with another. Compassion is an innate part of human response to suffering, which is comprised of a three-part experience of noticing another’s pain, feeling with another, and responding in some way.” Service is the result of compassion – we see a need and we fill it.

We each give back in ways that we can – as a wise person once told me: give your time, your talent, or your treasure. Some people might be more comfortable writing a check whereas others want to work in a soup kitchen. Do service that fits your lifestyle. I have so little spare time that sometimes my service is just giving crackers and water bottles to street people – I look them in the eye, have a little chat, and our hearts connect briefly. When the floods hit Houston last year, I felt moved to go to people’s houses and do their laundry because I’m an outgoing person and I like to serve by getting in the middle of it all. If you decide people-to-people contact is also for you, a couple of good websites for Houston volunteering opportunities are www.VolunteerHouston.org and www.JustServe.org.

The more you give, the more you get. Give to others and be of service and you’ll find that others will give back to you. The universe opens up to help you and it’s a beautiful cycle. The words “Trust. Serve.Love.” are on my glove compartment because those are the three most important words to me. Serve is in the middle of it all.

“Be of Service” is one of my twelve ways to ignite your life daily – ways that, if followed, will stave off addiction, depression, anxiety, and isolation. Being ignited for your life does that!

She produces a weekly blog highlighting unique cultural activities for adults and kids in Houston, www.GishPicks.com. Her IGNITE YOUR LIFE! art project, www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com; the complete list of her “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily” can be accessed there. Sarah also does private intuitive guidance sessions on Mondays at Body Mind & Soul; to schedule one, please call the store at 713.993.0550.

First of all, it is normal to have dreams and normal also for some people

to keep a dream journal. In this book, I will be sharing some of my

dream experiences which include flying. I have flown over buildings,

crowds of people, and forests, etc. The flying dream experience is

amazing; I often have flying dreams consecutively, night after night. The

feeling, at times, is comparable to altered states. I have flown once or

twice with my sisters, other times I fly solo. Each time I fly, the feeling

seems to be the same; it is the kind of feeling you would like to get all the

time and never want to stop. I have also heard my first name called out

loud by someone in a crowd.

In my dreams, I have also listened to highly sophisticated and subtle

musical compositions. Some of my dreams involve numbers, algebraic

expressions embedded in elementary and advanced mathematics. My

grammar has once been corrected in one of my dreams. Each dream

starts with a title and the date it occurred.

Writing Down Your Dreams

Writing down your dreams takes a lot of discipline and willpower. If you

remember the full details of your dream, write it down; do not trust your

memory. It could be just a word or a sentence. Write it down. Review

your dreams periodically in order to check for correspondence.

Paul Emekwulu, an award-winning and international bestselling author is the author of Writing Down Your Dreams: Listen to Your Inner Voice andChange Your Life, Goal Setting for Little Guys etc. Available for speaking engagements in schools, colleges and universities.

Be aware that glyphosate in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide is prevalent in nonorganic foods, widely used as a weed killer and to dry crops before harvesting. This hidden poison in the presence of ingested mercury makes both the glyphosate and mercury 1,000 times more toxic.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Dr. Stephani Seneff, author of the article “The Destructive Effects of Heavy Metals and Glyphosate,” reports that glyphosate is a major driver of disease. The toxin stays in a pet’s bones as well as the bones of the food-producing animals eating genetically modified (GMO) grains that dogs chew on.

• Avoid chemicals and toxins in lawn care, household cleaners and body care products. Grow food or patronize a best practices local farmer.

• Be diligent in sourcing for clean, unprocessed food. Learn about biodynamic farming and step up from organic to biodynamic.

• Don’t hamper the immune system with unsafe and unnecessary vaccinations and drugs.

• Spend time in the sunshine.

• Exercise. The lymphatic system won’t work and the body can’t purge spent mitochondria or make new ones without it.

• Incorporate beneficial bugs through prebiotics and probiotics and enzymes. Learn to ferment and sprout, and add these ingredients to family and pet meals.

You know that mercury is bad for people. John Moore, a prominent 20th-century mercury and dental health researcher, regarded mercury as a ubiquitous contaminant of everything from plastics to concrete and medicine. But what about your dog? Pets also routinely encounter mercury and other toxic metals like aluminum and lead.

For humans, eating whole, organic and even biodynamic food has become imperative to avoid heavy metals. That’s also true for canines. A species-appropriate raw diet including veggies is often recommended. And any raw meaty bones should be the joints and not the long bones unless purchased from a company that tests for heavy metals.

Here are some preventive and remedial steps.

1. Heal leaky gut first. Like humans, pets with leaky gut will have food allergies. Remove causes like vaccines and processed foods; support the liver; rebalance with prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes; replenish with a healthy whole foods diet, along with aloe, slippery elm and marshmallow root; and restore with homeopathic remedies. Follow up with fermented veggies as part of the diet. Consult a naturopathic veterinarian for treatment.

2. Provide clean, filtered water. Mountain spring water is ideal.

3. Boost nutrients. Nutrient deficiencies that can arise in conjunction with mercury poisoning include antioxidant vitamins A, C, E and vitamin D, plus the complex of B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and selenium. These also help treat potential post-vaccination immunity issues.

Turmeric: a powerful supplement to help treat and prevent gene damage caused by heavy metals and glyphosate (one-eight to one-quarter teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight per day, combined with a healthy fat like coconut oil and some freshly ground black pepper for better absorption).

4. Prevent and treat candida. Avoid aggravating candida as it can release 60-plus toxic substances, including ethanols and the heavy metals it eats. Eliminate all carbs, sugar and grains from the dog’s diet.

5. Greens, minerals and herbs. The use of juvenile grasses is detoxifying and provides necessary magnesium during a detox. Sea vegetables can supply calcium, iodine and trace minerals. Herbs like curcumin, ginger and cayenne are potent antioxidants; ginger and turmeric help with DNA repair. Nutrients from green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli can enter cells and reduce inflammation; broccoli sprouts also apply, with effective delivery method via a concentrated powder.

Blend or lightly steam veggies to enhance digestion, then add one tablespoon for smaller dogs, or three to four for larger dogs.

6. No fake food or vitamins. Be wary of synthetic vitamins. Whole foods may be properly supplemented with gentle chelators like open cell wall chlorella and super foods like spirulina.

7. Probiotics plus. Probiotics help restore healthy gut bacteria, repair genes, synthesize nutrients and help remove mercury from the body. Cultivating a gut garden of beneficial bugs boosts health. Add a teaspoon or two of kefir or fermented veggies to the dinner of small dogs, up to a tablespoon or two for larger animals. A high-quality refrigerated probiotic supplement is an option; if it’s made for animals, follow the package directions; for human products, assume the dose is for a 150-pound person and adjust for the dog’s weight.

Amino acids, the primary building blocks of proteins, are integral to detoxification; feeding a dog a variety of meats, along with fish and eggs, will provide these. Digestive enzymes also support health; a supplement should include many kinds. Cellulase, a plant enzyme that helps digest plant material, also extracts mercury, which destroys naturally occurring enzymes.

8. Plan meals with prebiotics. Prebiotics occur naturally in common high-fiber foods including cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and spinach. Carrots, beets and spirulina also benefit the gut. Establishing a healthy gut restores the body’s natural detoxification function, plus its ability to assimilate critical nutrients. Add a teaspoon or two for small dogs; one to three tablespoons for larger dogs.

10. Organ meats. A dog should have organ meats from clean animals at least once a week, or as 10 percent of its diet.

As the body detoxifies, symptoms and discharges may occur. These are less common for dogs with raw, species-appropriate diets and minimal vaccinations. Visible results include old dogs displaying more energy and sharper cognitive function and awareness. Eyes are clearer. Fatty tissues shrink down, coats fill out and become shinier and skin becomes healthier. As the largest organ, skin reflects the state of the immune system as a whole.

We live in polarized times. The current polarization of the American electorate and federal government is rooted in “the polarized mind”, a fixation by individuals on one point of view that excludes differing views and provokes intolerance. Complex issues become black and white, and those with differing views or lifestyles are demonized. Beyond politics, this is seen in gun violence and terrorism, corporate abuses of health and safety, and religious and ethnic strife—affecting major aspects of our daily lives.

An antidote to polarization is awe—the wonder of being alive; living life with hope, respect, humility, wonder and a deep reverence for the adventure of living.

Psychology experiments at Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, have shown those that practice awe are better able to see outside their own experiences and appreciate other points of view, which can transcend the tunnel vision and pettiness of a polarized atmosphere. Here are some basic steps toward cultivating a sense of awe:

Appreciate the passing nature of time and life. Even while doing something disagreeable, slowing down and affirming the preciousness of the moment can sometimes render alternative perspectives.

Be open to discovery and surprise. This is especially helpful if we are constantly locked in by assumptions about people or things. Think how politicians might benefit by being open to the possibility of discovery or surprise during delicate negotiations. The same principle can hold true with family and friends.

Step outside the box of personal judgments and consider the bigger picture of life. Replace the prison of self-criticism often stemming from comparing ourselves with idealized media images with appreciation of the many facets of who we are and what we can become.

Psychologist Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D., is past editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, president-elect of the Existential-Humanistic Institute and adjunct faculty at Saybrook and Columbia universities, in New York City. His books include Awakening to Awe, The Polarized Mind and The Spirituality of Awe: Challenges to the Robotic Revolution. Visit KirkJSchneider.com.

Money influences our choice of job or home, and sense of security, worth and power; it can also make life more or less convenient. Yet, despite its essential importance, money is often a forbidden topic among family members.

Money Talk Taboo

“We are not taught how to have a relationship with money on a psychological or spiritual level; it isn’t part of our culture,” explains Bari Tessler, a Boulder, Colorado, financial therapist and author of The Art of Money. “The majority of our parents and grandparents didn’t receive a financial education, so they don’t understand emotions around money or how to talk about it.”

Tessler works with individuals, couples and creative entrepreneurs to help them “claim their worth in the world and bring their skills and values into the marketplace,” she says. Money is a frequent source of tension among couples, but Tessler notes it wasn’t even talked about in her graduate-level psychology training. “Money is emotional territory for people. You can’t just go to a financial planner, plot a budget and be on your merry way,” she observes.

Shifting Our Perceptions

To change our relationship with money, Tessler says we need to understand our “money stories” that include the ways in which our personal experiences, together with subconsciously inherited familial and cultural attitudes, shape how we think about money.

“The first step to changing our money habits is being willing to sit with the tough issues,” says Mayuri Onerheim, author of Money Spirituality Consciousness, a retired accountant and spiritual teacher of the Diamond Approach of self-realization, in Larkspur, California. “There is no change without some discomfort. It’s part of the spiritual journey.”

Self-care, forgiveness and acceptance are important throughout this process, advises Tessler, because many people bring feelings of guilt and shame to their relationship with money. She recommends doing a “body check-in” to become aware of our physical reaction to related issues, whether its going on a reckless spending spree or bracing to ask for a raise. This stage paves the way for the practical work of learning to manage our money in alignment with our values, goals and dreams. It begins with developing practices to track, review and reflect upon regarding spending and earning patterns.

Tactical Tools

Tessler recommends utilizing one of many free financial tracking tools like Mint.com, YNAB.com or MoneyMinderOnline.com. She also suggests we rename their preloaded budget categories to reflect our personal relationships to the areas of spending (e.g., “sanctuary” rather than mortgage; “my dream vacation” for savings targeted for time off; or “life happens” for late fees).

For an enlightened view of cash flows, Onerheim suggests translating what was spent on something into the hours it took to earn the money. “This perspective can transform how we allocate resources and what we’re willing to spend money on,” she says.

Vicki Robin, co-author of the bestseller Your Money or Your Life, espouses a similar approach: thinking of money in terms of hours of life energy. “Continually asking yourself whether you actually got fulfillment in proportion to life energy spent in each subcategory awakens the natural sense of knowing when enough is enough,” she writes.

Tessler and Onerheim both encourage rethinking the idea that all earning is good and all spending is bad: “It’s about balancing needs and wants, and we need joy in life. It’s not about saving every penny and not enjoying yourself,” says Onerheim.

A Rewarding Journey

Becoming financially conscious ultimately helps us fulfill our responsibility to be a good steward of the planet’s resources, according to Onerheim. “Money is a representation of myself in the world, so I want to take responsibility for where my money goes.”

“Financial integrity is achieved by learning the true impact of your earning and spending, both on your immediate family and on the planet,” agrees Robin. “It is knowing what is enough money and material goods to keep you at the peak of fulfillment—and what is just excess and clutter.”

All call for celebrating progress on the journey to financial well-being and know-how. “Take baby steps and reward yourself along the way,” counsels Tessler. “This is a lifelong journey.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Holding the Guinness World Record for the longest and largest continuous eco zip line canopy tour in the world, historic Banning Mills, in Whitesburg, Georgia, will thrill tweens and teens. Enjoy a slower pace on the 12-mile Hike and Bike Trail, with nine suspension bridges, including the longest of its kind in North America. Stay in eco-friendly lodges, cabins and tree houses.

Family Week

From July 30 to August 4, the Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck, New York, will host Family Week. Grownups attend workshops while kids participate in specialty camps; everyone convenes for meals, free time and evening entertainment. The campus relies on sustainable energy and local agriculture. Free tours are available at the environmental education center.

Camp in Style

If traditional camping isn’t on the table, try Tentrr. Campsites on the privately owned properties sleeps four to 16 people in a family, pet-friendly atmosphere. A tent, fire pit, picnic table, water container, camp toilet, queen size cot, grill, food storage and sun shower are provided. “Compared to other accommodations, each night at a Tentrr campsite saves 245 gallons of water and reduces CO2 output by 54 pounds per campsite,” estimates Michael D'Agostino, Tentrr’s founder and CEO.

The secluded Lumberland, New York, campsite, along the Delaware River, sets its roomy tent on a wooden deck. Attractions include Adirondack chairs for unwinding and a nearby farmers’ market and restaurant. Enjoy hiking, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, swimming and fishing. Tentrr provides required life jackets and a shuttle to meet paddlers at their destination for the return trip to camp.

From its original 35 sites, the organization recently expanded to 250 campsites, predominantly from Pennsylvania to Maine. This fall, they’ll also open in the Pacific Northwest from Northern California to Washington state.

At Kama’ole Beach Park III, in Maui, Hawaii, the small waves are so clear that fish can be seen from the surface. Snorkeling gear rentals are available. Shaved ice stands keep everyone cool.

Lakefront beaches like West Beach at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, on Lake Michigan’s southern tip, attract kids. They can earn beachcomber badges in the Junior Ranger program by finding three different-colored rocks or telling what plants they saw most often.

In late August, Mayflower Beach, in Dennis, Massachusetts, hosts its annual local sand sculpture contest with divisions for kids and families creating the art together.

Go Farming

FarmWise, near Alpine Valley, in southeastern Wisconsin, hosts Farm Day, which gives children a personal peek into where their food comes from. They learn about life on a farm by tending livestock and farm pets, pruning fruit trees and weeding the garden. They also prepare snacks with the fruits of their day’s labor. The emphasis is on doing the work themselves, be it planting seeds or feeding pigs.

Experience Science

Science Saturdays at the EcoCenter at Heron’s Head Park, in San Francisco, are held every weekend with a focus on environmental education, park restoration, climate change science experiments, nature walks and citizen science excursions. “There are no other centers like it in the U.S.,” says staffer Jacqueline Murray. Learn more about this Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Platinum living classroom at EcoCenterhhp.org.

The researchers divided 27 endurance-trained young adult athletes into two groups. Eleven participants were given a daily powered tart cherry supplement for 10 days, and 16 were given a rice flour placebo. All completed a half-marathon near the end of the 10-day trial. The researchers tested fasting blood samples and a quadriceps muscle soreness rating prior to the run, 60 minutes after the run and 24 and 48 hours post-run.

The tart cherry group reported 13 percent faster average running times, as well as significantly lower inflammatory markers. They also reported 34 percent lower quadriceps soreness prior to the run. Tart cherry supplementation also increased immunity and resulted in better muscle metabolism.

]]>Sun, 23 Jul 2017 14:22:22 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_83448_tax_and_pricing_policies_spur_healthier_eating.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_83448_tax_and_pricing_policies_spur_healthier_eating.htmlA meta-study from Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts, documents a revealing relationship between diet and food prices. The researchers found that taxation of unhealthy foods and price reductions of healthy foods help shift consumers to healthier purchases.

They reviewed data from 11 studies on the impact of adding tariffs to unhealthy foods that lead to higher prices and 19 studies that examined the effects on the demand of reducing the prices of healthy foods. They discovered that consumers purchased 14 percent more fruits and vegetables when prices were reduced by 10 percent. Other healthy food price reductions produced similar results, with a 16 percent increase in consumption with each 10 percent price drop.

The researchers examined the impact of increases in the price of sugary drinks and fast foods. Following 10 percent price hikes, consumption of these items decreased by 7 and 3 percent, respectively.

“The global food system is exacting a staggering toll on human health, and this is very costly, both in terms of real healthcare expenses and lost productivity,” says Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, senior author of the study and dean of the university’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy. “Our findings suggest that subsidies and taxes are a highly effective tool for normalizing the price of foods toward their true societal cost. This will both prevent disease and reduce spiraling healthcare costs, which are causing a tremendous strain on both private businesses and government budgets.”

]]>Sun, 23 Jul 2017 14:19:03 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_83447_colicky_babies_respond_to_acupuncture.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_83447_colicky_babies_respond_to_acupuncture.htmlResearch from Sweden has found that acupuncture helps reduce the crying of colicky babies. The study monitored 147 babies between the ages of 2 and 8 weeks with colic at four separate Swedish public child health centers.

The babies were divided into three groups; each visited the clinic twice a week for two weeks. One group received “gold standard” care plus five minutes of minimal acupuncture, one group received standard care plus five minutes of acupuncture and one group received standard care only.

After two weeks, both acupuncture groups showed a reduction in crying time by the second week and at a later follow-up. More babies dropped to less than three hours of crying per day in the acupuncture groups than the control group, removing them from the colic category altogether. No adverse effects were recorded.

Research from the University of Pittsburg, in Pennsylvania, has established that structured physical activity following a stroke can significantly improve cognitive function in survivors. The study used data from 13 clinical trials that included 735 participants to analyze general cognitive improvement, executive function, attention and working memory, as well as the impact of different types of physical activity.

Researchers found that exercise following a stroke produced cognitive improvements in both attention and speed in processing information. They further discovered that a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training produced the maximum cognitive improvements.

“We found that a program as short as 12 weeks is effective at improving cognition, and even patients with chronic stroke can experience improvements in their cognition with an exercise intervention,” says lead author Lauren E. Oberlin, a graduate student at the university.

Researchers in Milan, Italy, have found that individuals with Type 1 diabetes display a unique inflammatory signature and microbiome in their digestive tract. The study examined biopsies from 54 patients that underwent endoscopies at the city’s San Raffaele Hospital between 2009 and 2015. The samples came from the patients’ duodenum, the upper part of the small intestine, and allowed scientists to directly assess the bacteria in the digestive tract, rather than relying on stool samples.

The results of the samples were compared to gut bacteria from a control group of healthy individuals without Type 1 diabetes and others with celiac disease. Researchers found that the diabetes group showed more signs of gut inflammation than the other groups, and it was linked to 10 specific genes, also marking them as having a unique combination of bacteria.

“By exploring this, we may be able to find new ways to treat the disease by targeting the unique gastrointestinal characteristics of individuals with Type 1 diabetes,” explains the study’s senior author, Dr. Lorenzo Piemonti, with the hospital’s Diabetes Research Institute.

The province of Ontario began a complete phase out of its coal-fired power plants in 2005, with all of them having closed by 2015. While the costly measure was expected to produce minor air quality improvements, officials predicted that the resulting health benefits would accrue $3 billion in annual health care savings for the community.

Realized savings can be seen in the drastic reduction of smog days in Ontario, down to just one since 2014. “Let’s compare that to 2005, when residents of the Greater Toronto Area suffered through 53 smog days while coal, with its toxic emissions, provided 19 percent of the province’s power,” says Vanessa Foran, president and CEO of the Asthma Society. “It’s obvious that shutting Ontario’s coal plants has helped clean the air; it’s also given a new lease on life to millions that suffer with asthma.”

More proof of the medical benefits of the phase out come from an assessment conducted by Toronto Public Health in 2014. It reported a 23 percent reduction in air pollution-related premature deaths in the city between 2000 and 2011, as well as a 41 percent reduction in related hospital admissions during the same period.

A study from the University of Florida, in Gainesville, has found that the probiotic combination of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (sold as Kyo-Dophilus) helps relieve the symptoms of seasonal allergies.

Researchers split 173 healthy adults with mild seasonal allergies into two groups during the height of the spring allergy season. The first group was given the probiotic combination, while the other group received a placebo. The subjects filled out a weekly online survey for eight weeks about their allergy symptoms and discomfort levels.

Do less laundry. Live stain-free. Travel lighter. Smell better. Save the planet.

~ Ably Apparel motto

Eco-friendly fashion used to be an oxymoron, synonymous with frumpy clothing and ugly shoes. Now designers and manufacturers are finding ways to provide attractive and healthier alternatives to common fabrics, especially polyester.

After World War II, cotton, wool and linen fell out of favor as wash and wear, stain-resistant, permanent-press polyester arrived. Annual production of the synthetic fiber, consuming petroleum, coal, air and water resources today, exceeds 22 billion tons. Americans alone discard 14 million tons of clothing each year—80 pounds per person—with 80 percent going to landfills, where polyester takes 20 to 200 years to biodegrade.

A host of suppliers are responding to a rising demand for comfortable, trendy, easy-care, high- quality and eco-friendly clothing that’s actually good for you. Here are just a few of these innovators.

Ably Apparel, in Seattle, makes hoodies, T-shirts and jogging pants, using Filium-activated, 100 percent cotton fabric free of chemicals and nanoparticles. It repels spills and stains. When wet, it dries 40 percent faster than other materials. Perspiration evaporates through the breathable natural fabric, so Ably clothing doesn’t absorb odors or need to be washed and dried as often, saving water and energy (Tinyurl.com/FiliumFashion).

“The retail industry is one of today’s largest polluters in the world,” says Raj Shah, co-founder of Ably and co-creator of Filium. “Ably apparel saves time and reduces both carbon emissions and chemical detergent usage, resulting in cleaner water supplies. We’re the first to apply the benefits of Filium to clothing, but hope other companies will follow suit.” The company has three stores and ships worldwide from its website.

Farm2Fashion made its New York debut in 2014, featuring ponchos, scarves and wraps crafted from manufacturers’ pre-consumer, recycled cotton scrap, plus local virgin farm fiber under the guidance of Laurie Perrone, creative director and president. Located in Cornwall, New York, the company’s artisan-inspired products are available through stores and the Web. (Farm2Fashion.com).

“Our philosophy is simple—design classic products in America with substance and sustainability, while creating a low carbon footprint,” says Perrone. “We encourage customers to pass our products from generation to generation. Apparel and other textile goods in America used to be made at home for families and friends. We want to bring some of that back to life.”

Orgotton’s classic “little black dress” takes on fresh personalities via two long straps that change its appearance from a modest one-shoulder to a dressier backless version, halter style or a variation with cap sleeves. Made to order in Philadelphia, the five-way short dress expands a woman’s wardrobe with a single purchase (Tinyurl.com/OrgottonShortDress). The dress is 65 percent bamboo, 27 percent organic cotton and 8 percent Spandex; it’s washable in cold water and dries flat, saving energy. Orgotton’s Infinity Collection comprises a long dress, short dress, romper and bodysuit.

Alis Living (AlisLiving.com) lifestyle boutique, in Scottsdale, Arizona, is owner Janet Ellis’ creation. “In 2007, I taught meditation classes and noticed the women were not enjoying life fully. Life should not be stressful,” she observes. “The skin is the largest organ on the body and clothing fabrics are often treated with formaldehyde. So we exclusively focus on organic clothing.”

Her motto is, “Dress healthy, look good, have fun.” The clothing she carries are so simple and versatile that a change in accessories can take a dress from daytime business wear to evening elegance. “It used to be harder to find eco-friendly clothing. It’s easier now,” Ellis remarks. We carry Blue Canoe, Indigenous, Onno, Shupaca and Synergy fashion lines, adding more brands as we discover them.”

As a Master Gardener, Ellis also offers organic cooking classes for customers, harvesting from an onsite garden, thus creating a conscious community for women. “We want to serve one another and live joyously, but too often don’t make time for ourselves,” she says. “We’re concerned about human health and the planet. We believe that we don’t have to do harm in order to enjoy good fashion, food and fun.” Fashion personality and creation, organic gardening, mindful art, meditation and yoga on the lawn are other classes offered onsite.

Eco-friendly clothing used to be synonymous with frumpy, wrinkled skirts and blouses and ugly shoes. Now designers and manufacturers are finding ways to provide the attractive and eco-healthy clothing more women want to wear.

“As soon as we start eating healthier diets, our body is able to detoxify more efficiently and diseases begin to be reversed,” says Dr. Michael Greger, a physician and creator of NutritionFacts.org. Follow these tips to enhance the detoxification process at mealtimes.

Eat broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables raw or chop them at least 40 minutes before cooking to maximize intake of the phytonutrient sulforaphane, which boosts detoxifying enzymes in the liver. For the time-crunched, Greger suggests adding a small amount of any type of raw cruciferous vegetables to the cooked ones.

Always choose colorful produce, with the exception of white mushrooms and cauliflower. “White foods are stripped of nutrition,” says Greger. Pigment indicates the richness of antioxidants that keep the body functioning efficiently. He likes adding shreds of economical and long-lasting red cabbage as an everyday garnish.

Follow the seasons, because nature provides the ideal harvest for each season—heavier, denser foods in winter, like wheat, dairy, roots, nuts and seeds; and cooling, high-energy fruits and vegetables in summer. Dr. John Douillard, creator of the 3-Season Diet Challenge, remarks that research suggests that gut microbes are meant to change with local seasonal foods to optimize digestion, mood and immunity.

Avoid plastics by limiting intake of foods stored or cooked in plastic, especially cling wrap, which is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a known carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer. Also avoid canned goods unless labeled bisphenol A (BPA)-free. “A lot of toxins enter our bodies through processed, overcooked and fried foods,” observes Deanna Minich, Ph.D. “As we replace these foods with nourishing options, we need to also minimize plastic packaging.”

Filter water because, “We are primarily made of water, so if we’re drinking and bathing in contaminated water, it impacts health,” says Minich who recommends using a national testing laboratory to assess home tap water. The results can then be coupled with the Environmental Working Group’s buying guide (Tinyurl.com/EWG-Buying-Guide) to determine the most appropriate water filter for the contaminants present.

The W. Atlee Burpee home gardening company and the Burpee Foundation have contributed $2.5 million to the National Park Foundation to maintain the White House garden, founded in 2009 by former First Lady Michelle Obama, for at least 17 years.

The garden is a powerful symbol of Obama’s effort to promote healthy eating and lifestyles for America’s children. During an eight-year span, she added beehives, a compost system and a pollinator garden to attract birds and butterflies as the garden nearly tripled in size to 2,800 square feet.

Mr. Trash Wheel and Professor Trash Wheel, the solar- and hydro-powered trash interceptors cleaning up Baltimore’s inner harbor, have the ability to suck up plastic bags, Styrofoam containers, cigarette butts and other debris. The waste is burned to generate electricity, and plans exist to increase recycling capabilities in the future.

The brainchild of engineer John Kellett, who gained the support of the Water Partnership of Baltimore, a nonprofit that supports environmental legislation, the invention is designed to make the area a green, safe and friendly destination for people and marine life.

Proponents of GMO (genetically modified) food may argue that the technique is necessary because the world is running out of resources. However, agricultural startup Sundrop Farms, with offices in the UK and Australia, has developed high-tech greenhouse facilities that apply solutions to grow crops with less reliance on finite natural resources than conventional greenhouse production.

In 2010, Sundrop Farms opened a pilot facility in Port Augusta, South Australia, that is combining seawater and sunlight to grow food in the middle of the desert, unaffected by climate change, biotech land grabs, drought, floods and pestilence. They are using coconut husks, 23,000 mirrors to reflect solar power and desalinated seawater on a hydroponic farm of just under 50 acres to grow 17,000 metric tons of non-GMO food every year.

Built at a reported cost of $200 million, the facility has a year-round growing season. In winter, its greenhouse operates with the help of 39 megawatts of clean energy from solar power. Beneficial bugs destroy pests. Coles Supermarkets has signed a 10-year contract for the exclusive right to sell the company’s produce.

After decades of strong growth, bottled water consumption has outpaced carbonated soft drinks to become the largest beverage category by volume in the United States. Michael Bellas, chairman and chief executive at Beverage Marketing Corp, says, “When Perrier first entered the country in the 1970s, few would have predicted the heights to which bottled water would eventually climb.”

In 2015, U.S. bottled water consumption totaled 39.3 gallons per capita, while carbonated soft drinks fell to 38.5 gallons. Bad publicity about the health effects of sugary beverages is at the root of the trend, with some states considering making them off-limits to food stamp purchasers and cities voting for soda taxes to combat diet-related diseases like obesity and diabetes.

]]>Sun, 02 Jul 2017 11:44:55 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_82693_animals_that_are_no_more.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_82693_animals_that_are_no_more.htmlAnimals that Are No More

Every year, more species reach the brink of extinction to inhabit only the annals of natural history. Species that have officially disappeared forever as of 2016 reports include the Bramble Cay melomys, Nulllarbor dwarf bettong, Capricorn rabbit-rat, Pinta Island tortoise, western black rhinoceros, Rabb’s fringe-limbed treefrog, San Cristóbal vermilion flycatcher and Formosan clouded leopard.

These are just a handful of the animals threatened and wiped out annually. Thirteen bird species alone were confirmed as extinct in 2016, mostly due to invasive predators. More of these animals are bound to die off unless humans make an effort to preserve them.

The federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), passed in 1973, strengthened earlier federal protections for animals that had been nearly wiped out by humans. The act faces opposition from those that believe it both unfairly protects animals that poach livestock and restricts land use.

At a recent hearing titled Modernizing the Endangered Species Act, Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the ESA is not working anymore. Natural Resources Committee Chairman Republican Congressman Rob Bishop of Utah opines that the act has never been used for the rehabilitation of species and instead has been controlling the land, saying, “It has been hijacked.”

Yet Daniel M. Ashe, president and chief executive of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, says, “The Endangered Species Act is the world’s ‘gold standard’ for conservation and protection of animals.”

According to many experts, the world’s flora and fauna are experiencing a global extinction crisis caused by human activity, but we have also learned how to protect species and help them recover. Eight species that would probably have disappeared already were it not for the ESA include the black-footed ferret, humpback whale, bald eagle, American alligator, grizzly bear, Florida manatee, California condor and gray wolf.

A study in the journal Nature Communications examined wild bee populations relative to the use of controversial neonic (neonicotinoid) pesticides from 1994 to 2011, and discovered that extinction rates paralleled their use on plants throughout the country.

The 34 species analyzed experienced a 10 percent population drop across the board, with five of the species seeing a decrease of 20 percent or more, and the most-impacted group declining by 30 percent. Researchers say this indicates that up to half of the population decline could be attributed to the use of neonics.

“It contributes, but there is a bigger picture,” says Jeffrey Pettis, an entomologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Beltsville Bee Laboratory, in Maryland. Other factors are thought to include parasites such as varroa mites and nosema fungus (a bacterial disease known as foulbrood) plus viruses, drought and loss of habitat.

Meanwhile, the Friends of the Earth (FOE) environmental group has launched a petition calling on the Ace and True Value hardware companies to follow Lowe’s and Home Depot’s example to stop carrying the pesticides. FOE says, “If these garden retailers don’t act fast, they’ll lose customers. A new poll shows that 66 percent of Americans prefer to shop at Lowe’s and Home Depot because they’ve committed to stop selling bee-killing pesticides.”

An article published by the journal PLOS One reflects the opinion of researchers affiliated with France’s National Institute for Agricultural Research that a large portion of studies on genetically modified (GM/GMO) crops are rife with conflicts of interest. They state that many have been tainted because someone that worked on a study was also an employee of a company producing them. The study investigated direct financial conflicts of interest, but not other factors such as authors being members of advisory boards, co-holders of patents or consultants to GM companies.

Out of 579 published studies analyzed, some 40 percent showed a possible conflict of interest. The authors noted that the suspect studies had a much higher likelihood of presenting a favorable outcome for GMOs compared to others. The majority of these studies (404) were American; 83 were Chinese.

Displays of flowers populating highway meridians, road embankments and adjacent green spaces are often due to the efforts of garden clubs working with state departments of transportation (DOT). Some of these pioneers also inspire other clubs to pursue similar collaborations, often with public support.

“The people of Texas have joined wholeheartedly what Lady Bird Johnson started,” says Linda Love, roadside beautification chairperson of the Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. (TexasGardenClubs.org), headquartered in Fort Worth. Their committee recognizes planting projects on state and county highways assisted by 320 local clubs encompassing about 10,000 members.

She points to particularly attractive areas along highways 75 in Richardson, plus highways 45 and 35 extending south of Dallas, where concentrations of blue bonnets “look like lakes,” says Love. Other planted native flower patches include Indian paintbrush and gaillardia. She notes that the state prohibits mowing of blue bonnets until after they’ve bloomed and dropped their seeds; picking rules preserve their beauty.

Gail Hill, chair of The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.’s (ffgc.org) roadside beautification committee, based in Winter Park, reports the Ella P. Wood Paths of Sunshine Award Program partnered with the Florida Wildflower Foundation (FlaWildflowers.org) recognizes the efforts of state DOT maintenance crews in establishing and maintaining roadside wildflowers. “The department has run a strong program for decades,” she says.

Local clubs are encouraged to petition elected officials for new resolutions to develop roadside wildflower projects. “About half of Florida’s counties have passed resolutions, including most recently, Santa Rosa and Escambia counties,” says Hill.

This year, the Raleigh-based The Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc. (GardenClubOfNC.org), with more than 200 chapters, is working with the state DOT to commemorate the centennial of America’s entry into World War I by planting red poppies and bachelor buttons. Roadside Development Chairperson Pat Cashwell reports that about 1,500 acres of wildflowers, including cosmos, are planted annually on state and county highways each summer and fall, largely funded by the sale of special license plates, with awards to highway department crews. “We get letters from people after they drive through the state commenting on the floral beauty,” she enthuses.

Many garden clubs also establish flowers in parks, schools, churches and other public locations.

The term “detox” has been gaining traction in health circles, but cleansing practices have existed for millennia, ranging from the ancient Egyptians to Medieval Lenten practices and Native American fasting, smudging and sweat lodges. The truth is that we need cleansing now more than ever—to rid our bodies of chemical overload and our minds of negative thinking.

The Environmental Defense Fund has counted more than 100 chemicals produced in the U.S. that are present in everyday products and hazardous to humans and the environment. “Our body is a natural detoxifier, ridding itself of toxins through pooping, peeing, sweating and shedding skin. But in our current toxic overload situation, it’s not always an efficient process,” observes Deanna Minich, Ph.D., an author and functional nutritionist in Washington state.

Some experts believe many commercial detoxification programs are unsafe, extreme and ineffective. “Psychologically, a short-term cleanse can act as a stepping stone if you’re eating fast food and donuts every day,” says Dr. Michael Greger, a Washington, D.C., physician specializing in clinical nutrition and author of How Not to Die. “What matters more is long-term—what you’re eating a decade from now. No quick fix is going to do it, it’s a lifestyle change.”

Feed Your Microbiome

When the microbiome becomes depleted, overall health is affected. Dr. Robynne Chutkan, a gastroentologist at Georgetown University Hospital and founder of the Digestive Center for Wellness, in Washington, D.C., and the author of Gutbliss and The Microbiome Solution, explains, “The GI tract is the body’s engine, and microbes are the worker bees that operate the machinery so that digestion and toxin removal can happen.”

She recommends switching to a plant-filled diet to effectively repopulate the microbiome and be aware of how food is grown. “Much store-bought produce, even organic options, is grown in depleted soil. Seek out biodynamic farmers that prioritize nutrient-rich soil to foster microbes,” Chutkan says. Even planting a couple of herbs or microgreens on the kitchen windowsill can make a difference. “Just picking those herbs and getting your hands in healthy dirt increases your exposure to health-promoting microbes.”

Get Dirty

“Health and wealth have become associated with cleanliness, yet the opposite is probably true,” assesses Chutkan. “Kids come in from the playground to use hand sanitizers and eat processed snacks. Instead, discard the microbiome-disrupting sanitizer and provide fresh vegetables for them to eat outside. We don’t want kids exposed to any serious pathogens, but getting a little dirty is essential.”

Studies have found that children with pets are more likely to have fewer allergies and infections and take fewer antibiotics than those living in pet-free households (Clinical & Experimental Allergy and Kuopio University Hospital, Finland). Pets that venture outdoors bring healthy microbes inside; so does fresh air, which purifies poorer quality indoor air.

Chutkan also warns of excessive bathing. “When we scrub ourselves, we rub off microbes and naturally occurring oils; unless we’re filthy, we just need to gently rinse.” Marketers convince consumers that products with toxic ingredients are necessities, but coconut oil, apple cider vinegar and honey can effectively replace many toiletries.

Burn Fat Cells

Ayurveda maintains that burning fat fuels detoxification because toxins from preservatives, pollutants, pesticides and other damaging chemicals are stored in our fat cells. When fat is metabolized and used as an energy source, the toxins are released, ready to be flushed out.

“When we’re not burning fat, toxins can accumulate, cause congestion in the lymphatic channels, overwhelm the liver and ultimately be deposited back into fat cells or stored in the arteries, heart and brain,” comments certified ayurvedic practitioner Dr. John Douillard, of Boulder, Colorado. He’s the author of Eat Wheat and a former director of player development and nutrition advisor for the New Jersey Nets professional basketball team.

Reboot with a Quick Cleanse

To stimulate the body’s natural ability to burn fat, Douillard recommends a four-day, at-home detox cleanse. “The digestive system is responsible for delivering nutrients and escorting dangerous toxins out of your body; if you can’t digest well, you can’t detoxify well,” he says.

Unlike drastic fasts and juice cleanses, which can deplete nutrients, he recommends stimulating fat metabolism with a cleanse that starts each morning with melted ghee followed by a simple nonfat diet throughout the day. According to research published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, ghee, a clarified butter, has been proven to remove environmental toxins by attaching to toxic fats. Kitchari, the staple of the meal plan, is a nourishing and easy-to-digest, porridge-like blend of beans, rice and Indian spices.

“When you eat a mono diet of just kitchari, your body can transfer the energy that normally goes toward digestion into cleansing and healing other systems,” says Douillard. For those not ready to maintain such a limited diet, he recommends a polydiet with the option to add seasonal steamed vegetables, oatmeal and other gluten-free grains.

Few Snacks, More Water

Work toward eating three meals a day—a light breakfast, big lunch and light and early dinner—without snacking in-between, and fasting for 13 hours each night. Douillard notes, “This regimen should be maintained beyond the cleanse because it gives the body a chance to use up its carbohydrates—its normal, go-to fuel—and switch to its calmer, more stable, detoxifying fuel—body fat.”

Adapt the cleanse to avoid strain, because when under stress, the lymphatic system shuts down and the body stores fat and toxins. “If three meals a day with no snacks is not possible yet, have a nonfat high-protein snack and plan to eat more protein at your next meal,” suggests Douillard. “Or start with four meals, and work your way down to three.”

Aim to drink half your healthiest body weight in ounces of room-temperature water every day, while also sipping warm-to-hot water—believed to soften the intestinal tract, move the lymph and hydrate the cells more effectively than cold water—every 10 to 15 minutes for two weeks. Plain water has a hydrating effect that not even lemon water can replicate.

Emotional Release

“Toxins are best understood less as poisons than as barriers—obstacles to the life and health we truly want,” says Minich. As a functional medicine nutritionist, she believes that food as medicine is only one aspect of full-spectrum health. Her approach revolves around clusters of nutritional, anatomical, psychological and spiritual life issues that can be jointly detoxified, supported and healed.

“Good eating alone will not necessarily solve our emotional woes or stop our limiting beliefs and toxic self-talk,” she explains in Whole Detox, a book based on a whole-life, whole-systems, whole-foods approach to detoxification. “We need to remove all the barriers that impede our growth. Limiting thoughts, as well as heavy metals and pesticides, are toxic barriers that weigh us down, sapping energy that might be used for better things.”

Her 21-day program is designed to establish long-term lifestyle changes with simple habits. She recommends monitoring our emotions and tracking thoughts with daily writing exercises. “Look at yourself like you’re examining a food label to get to the root of limiting patterns,” she says, encouraging questions such as, “Is this thought healthy for me?” or, “Do I want this thought in my being?” Be mindful of speech as well; swearing, exaggerating and interrupting can have deleterious effects, while uplifting affirmations can inspire positive actions.

She attests that visualization can help prevent the creative self from shutting down, another aspect of toxicity. “Be intuitive and imaginative; allow creative expression to flow. Before you can manifest what you want in life, you have to envision it.” Minich wants patients to invite introspection by taking a few minutes each day to be in solitude and silence, allowing meaning and purpose to surface.

Daily stress relief practices such as meditation, yoga, self-massage and mindful breathing can foster stress reduction. “Life shouldn’t feel like an emergency. We need to navigate around stress so we’re not inundated by it,” counsels Douillard.

By extracting toxins through sweat and circulating nutrients, physical activity is equally important for detoxification, but it’s also a form of self-love. “It expands your sense of possibilities, freeing you to go where you will and to carry burdens lightly,” Minich says.

In this age of personalized medicine, Minich encourages patients to focus on the parts of a detox program that they need most, whether it’s diet, emotional well-being or spirituality. She reminds us that the desire and need to cleanse is universal. “Detox is as old as humankind.”

The importance of calcium for bone health in women is widely known. Now a new study suggests that a diet of foods considered low-inflammatory, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, may help reduce bone loss and fracture risk. Researchers from Ohio State University calculated the dietary inflammatory index (DII) of 160,191 participants using data from the Women’s Health Initiative clinical trials’ baseline food frequency questionnaires.

Comparative DII data were then recorded three and six years later among 10,290 study participants to determine any changes in their individual scores. Results were also compared with the number of hip fractures reported annually for the subjects, along with bone-mineral density levels from the subgroup. Women with lower DII scores had less bone loss in their hips after six years.

A study from McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, has found that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) makes working out more enjoyable for individuals that struggle with regular exercise. Jennifer Heisz, lead author and assistant professor in the kinesiology department, observes, “Enjoyment during the first weeks of adopting a new exercise program may be especially important for preventing dropouts.”

Researchers divided 40 sedentary, healthy adults into two groups. One participated in HIIT, which consists of short bursts of intense exercises followed by lower-intensity recovery periods, for six weeks; the other group performed ongoing moderate exercises. The researchers discovered that while both groups started out with equal enjoyment levels, the HIIT group enjoyed their workouts more as they gained strength, while the moderate group reported unchanged or decreased enjoyment levels.

Research from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology, in Khartoum, Sudan, tested the efficacy of ginger, cinnamon and a combination of both in reducing root canal infection.

The study tested infections associated with 50 teeth involved in a root canal. They were divided into five groups. One was treated with a paste of extract of ginger, another cinnamon and another both of them. The final two groups were divided into a positive control group treated with calcium hydroxide with iodoform paste, and a negative control group was left untreated.

The researchers recorded the number of colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria—those capable of replicating and coalescing into a single visible infection—before and after the treatments. The extract of ginger group showed the most effectiveness, with a reduction from 83 CFUs to 26.5, suggesting that ginger may help treat or prevent root canal infections. The cinnamon group saw their status reduced slightly, to 77.8 CFUs, and the combination caused a decrease to 49.7.

A Fresno County Superior Court Judge Kristi Kapetan has ruled that the state of California will require Monsanto to place a cancer warning label on the company’s Roundup weed killer. The ruling is the first of its kind in the U.S. and comes after a branch of the World Health Organization labeled the product’s primary ingredient, glyphosate, as a “probable human carcinogen.”

Glyphosate, an odorless and tasteless toxin, has been manufactured by Monsanto for more than 40 years and sold in more than 160 countries. Monsanto will have one year to affix the warning label to all relevant products.

One in three people will develop shingles (Herpes zoster) during their lifetime. Although the painful skin eruptions last only a few weeks, chronic pain can persist for several months and seriously impair quality of life long after the red rash marks disappear.

Also concerning is that the rate of shingles is on the rise, according to a multidisciplinary review of relevant literature by PLOS, a nonprofit open-access science publisher. The cause may be widespread use of the chickenpox vaccine. A decade-long Australian study published in the Medical Journal of Australia showed that as its use rose, so did the incidence of shingles.

Shingles is acknowledged as being far more serious than chicken pox. Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder of the healthcare website Mercola.com, reports shingles can also lead to neuropathy, meningitis, hearing loss and blindness.

Fortunately, there are six safe and effective drug- and vaccine-free ways to prevent shingles or ease symptoms.

1. Vitamin C Therapy: According to Dr. Thomas E. Levy, vitamin C has been successfully used in treating shingles’ skin rash and blisters. In one study by Dr. Frederick Klenner, eight such patients received 2,000 to 3,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C by injection every 12 hours, supplemented by 1,000 mg in fruit juice every two hours. Seven reported complete pain relief within two hours of the first of five to seven injections.

As early as the mid-20th century, a study by Dr. Mohammed Zureick of 327 shingles patients demonstrated that vitamin C injections effected complete resolution of the outbreaks in all of them within 72 hours.

2. Fruits and Vegetables: Diets low in micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can increase the risk by depressing the immune system. In a British community-based study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, researchers followed 243 shingles patients in 22 general practices in London with a control group of 483 individuals with no history of the ailment.

Those eating less than one piece of fruit a week had more than three times the risk of herpes zoster versus those eating more than three a day. The same pattern occurred when they looked at combined fruit and vegetable intake.

3. Capsaicin: Postherpetic neuralgia is a complication of shingles that can last long after initial symptoms disappear. Topical capsaicin, the spicy compound in hot peppers, may be an effective treatment.

In a double-blind study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 32 elderly patients with chronic postherpetic neuralgia were treated with either capsaicin cream or a placebo. After six weeks, almost 80 percent of capsaicin-treated patients experienced relief. The researchers noted that because capsaicin avoids problems with drug interactions and systemic toxicity, it should be considered a first choice in management.

A study of 143 Canadian patients in Clinical Therapeutics yielded similar results. Then in a two-year follow-up of 77 of the patients, 86 percent showed continued benefits from the single six-week trial with no serious adverse effects.

4. Acupuncture: In a Chinese study of acute shingles cases in the journal ZhongguoZhen Jiu, 72 patients were randomly divided into two groups. One received acupuncture around the margins of the outbreak. The others received acupuncture plus moxibustion—a traditional Chinese therapy that burns dried mugwort on the skin—of the area around the needling. The acupuncture group had a relief rate of 85.3 percent, with the cessation of herpes eruptions, quicker scab healing and reduced residual neuralgia. Moxibustion-treated patients were cured within three days with a rate of 97.4 percent.

5. Tai Chi: A study in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society found that tai chi boosts immunity to the varicella zoster virus. In a randomized trial of 112 healthy adults, one group did tai chi for 25 weeks while another received health education. After 16 weeks all were vaccinated with VARIVAX, the live, attenuated Oka/Merck varicella zoster virus vaccine.

Results showed the tai chi group had nearly twice the levels of cell-mediated immunity to the virus compared to the control group; tai chi alone increased immunity about as much as the shingles vaccine plus yielded significant improvements in physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality and mental health.

In a University of California-Los Angeles study, 36 men and women over 60 were assigned either to a tai chi or control group. For 15 weeks, the tai chi practitioners received three, 45-minute instruction classes a week; their cell-mediated immunity to the varicella zoster virus rose 50 percent plus they experienced significant improvements in physical functioning.

6. Light Therapy: In a study published in Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 25 patients with severe pain in the first week of zoster rash were divided into a prevention group (receiving the drug acyclovir for 10 days, plus UVB light therapy three times a week until pain relief was reached or a maximum of 15 sessions); a control group received just the drug.

After one month, 58.3 percent of the light therapy patients were pain-free, compared to 38.5 percent of the drug group. At three months, the ratios rose to 83.3 percent versus 53.8. The researchers concluded that UVB phototherapy in the acute stage of shingles might reduce the incidence and severity of lingering neuralgia.

Margie King was a corporate attorney for 20 years before becoming a health writer in Lower Gwynedd, PA. Connect at IntegrativeMenopause.com.

Under the Obama Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found in its first rigorous nationwide analysis of the effects of pesticides on endangered species that 97 percent of the 1,800-plus animals and plants protected under the Endangered Species Act are likely to be harmed by malathion and chlorpyrifos, two commonly used pesticides; another 78 percent are likely to be hurt by another, diazinon. But now the new EPA administration under President Trump has declined to ban chloripyrifos; the decision may be challenged in court.

All three pesticides are organophosphates, widely used on crops such as corn, watermelon and wheat. Last year, the World Health Organization announced that malathion and diazinon are probable carcinogens. Based on the EPA’s conclusions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service will issue biological opinions to identify mitigation measures and changes to pesticide use to ensure that targeted pesticides will no longer potentially harm any endangered species. As part of a legal settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, the biological opinions are due by December.

Resources are everywhere. Presently Last Organic Outpost has partnered with Kelvin Williams and Cayn James King of Food Everywhere Coalition to build a resource Farm. A dump trailer creates a opportunity to build Neighborhood resources to develop a premium soil. Presently Independence Heights Resource Farm project has a soil farm in operations. The location is 100 East 45th@Yale Houston Texas 77018.

Tree waste is being composted at the site through processes developed through recent innovation. Who would know.

These resources are being donated to the City of Houston Health Department Community Gardens project. By cycling waste a abundant amount of material is available to create fertility on a grand scale. Participants have resources to step up growing operations in their neighborhood and you can help.

A Dump Trailer cost about $5,000 dollars total price. Share the dream to better and let’s build a food economy where seed and a premium soil work to elevate communities in need.

Meredith good work with New Americans. Research Paper out soon through Rice University.NWIAA Woman in Action out in numbers for a Resource Farm tour. Thanks to Prairie View A&M for making this happen.New Americans staffing the expansion of the Southwest Multi-Service Center Community Garden project.

The farming food effort is elevating the experience. Resources are the key to our successes. Stand with us a great nation to secure a food economy that offers communities opportunities to build skillsets to create Community Self-reliance.

Plan B is building as a Regional Food Security plan. Plans are underway to pioneer resources to development education in community self-reliance that embrace Dallas Fort Worth. Austin and East Texas. 18 million people within a 200 miles radius. Trust has its awards. A good Nation is determined to elevate the experience. Farmer our land to plenty. Seed and a premium soil are gifts from a all giving. The land is humanities greatest Ally.

Filed Under: Urban Agriculture

About Joe Icet

Since 2000, Joe Icet has been actively farming the Fifth Ward, an inner city district in Houston, Texas. He has always had a passion for urban agriculture, food security, and building community in unique and diverse ways. In 2008 he had the opportunity to retire from the union as a journeyman and continue farming full-time.

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Let’s Create Access/Farm Our Land to Plenty May 7, 2017A Emerging Economy of Plenty April 21, 2017Farming to Recover a Past April 21, 2017A Social Gathering Finding Purpose February 17, 2017Independence Heights 100 East 45th@Yale/ Newest location February 9, 2017

Scientists from the University of California at San Francisco, and Harvard Medical School, in Boston, tested the effect of vacations and meditation on the genes of 64 women between the ages of 30 and 60 that were novice meditators. They all spent six days at the same resort in California. Half participated in a meditation program that included yoga, self-reflection exercises and mantra meditation; the other half did not engage in onsite meditation. The researchers also studied a group of 30 experienced meditators already participating in the resort’s meditation program.

Blood sample tests and surveys from all 94 women were conducted at intervals: once right before their stay, once right after, a third one month post-vacation and 10 months after the trip. All the women displayed significant changes to their molecular network pattern after the six days, with the most substantial genetic changes related to immune function and stress response.

One month after the resort experience, all groups continued to display improvements. However, the novice meditators showed fewer symptoms of depression and stress for a significantly longer period than the women not participating in the meditation exercise.

Levels of highly toxic mercury contamination in Atlantic bluefin tuna are rapidly declining, a trend that has been linked to reduced mercury emissions in North America, according to a new study published in Environmental Science & Technology. Average mercury concentrations dropped by more than 2 percent per year, for a total decline of 19 percent between 2004 and 2012.

Scientists believe that most of that reduction has occurred because of a shift away from coal, the major source of mercury emissions, to natural gas and renewable fuels. Pollution control requirements imposed by the federal government have also cut mercury emissions, but these have been rolled back or eliminated by President Trump’s commitment to “bring back coal.”

Put the water, greens and banana in a high-speed travel-sized blender and blend until smooth.

Banushi

Yields: 1 serving

Nut butter of choice

Bananas (not overripe; firm enough to hold toppings)

Blueberries

Pomegranate seeds or strawberries, cut into slivers

Raw nuts of choice, crushed, ground up or crumbled

Peel the banana. Spread with a layer of nut butter to look like a sushi roll.

Place blueberries in a line down the middle lengthwise, about an inch apart.

Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds or strawberry slivers and top with raw nut crumble. Slice into pieces the size of sushi roll pieces.

Pizzadilla

Yields: 1 serving

1 large tortilla of choice (whole wheat or GMO-free corn)

½ cup Daiya vegan mozzarella shreds

2 Tbsp onion, chopped

2 Tbsp green pepper, chopped

¼ cup pizza sauce or marinara, store-bought

Shredded fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Field Roast Grain Meat Italian Sausage (optional)

Large piece of aluminum foil

Iron and ironing board

Preheat hotel or travel iron; the linen setting works well.

While the iron is preheating, place tortilla on a square of aluminum foil large enough to enclose the tortilla.

Sprinkle half the cheese on one half of the tortilla, top with peppers and onions, spoon over the marinara and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Fold the other half over the toppings, and then fold the foil over the entire Pizzadilla, completely closing the edges of the foil.

Place the foil packet on the ironing board and the iron on the foil packet. Iron it out to flatten slightly and then leave iron on the foil packet for 2 minutes, flip and repeat. Open foil, cut the Pizzadilla in half and it’s ready to eat.

Traveling can be tricky for those trying to eat a plant-based diet, especially on long stretches of highway. More than 33 percent of Americans, or 100 million-plus people, are eating vegan/vegetarian meals more often, even if they do not adhere to a strict plant-based lifestyle, concluded a 2011 Harris Interactive study commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group. Here is what can the discerning traveler can do when hunger strikes.

Start by looking for vegan pit-stops before you go. Identify a plant-friendly restaurant group, such as Dr. Andrew Weil’s True Food Kitchen (now in 12 states), and then Google their locations. Smartphone apps such as Finding Vegan and Happy Cow help point the way to vegan-friendly restaurants around the world.

This month Natural Awakenings asked three savvy travelers how they manage plant-based eating wherever they go.

For Dustin Harder, eating well on the road is a matter of research and preparation. He is the New York City-based chef/host of the online program The Vegan Roadie, with 100 U.S. restaurant visits and counting and now seeking crowdfunding for its third season, set in Italy. Harder has learned to investigate his dining options ahead of time, and always packs a travel-size, high-speed blender, lots of trail mix and his favorite condiments of sriracha (bottled hot sauce) and nutritional yeast.

“You can locate great vegan restaurants in surprising places if you search online before you travel,” he says, listing Viva Vegeria and La Botanica, in San Antonio, Texas, and The Red Fern, in Rochester, New York, among his finds. Where vegan restaurants are scarce, he turns to plant-based options at Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread. His DIY hotel-room cuisine favorites are a Hotel Smoothie, Banushi (banana sushi) and Pizzadilla, a cross between a pizza and a quesadilla, “cooked” in aluminum foil using a hotel iron and ironing board.

Matt Frazier, a runner and co-author of the No Meat Athlete Cookbook, recently went on the road for a self-funded book tour. Not only had he left his high-powered blender back home with his family in Asheville, North Carolina, he was on a tight budget. “The trick that has helped me not just survive, but thrive on the road is eating fresher, more whole and more raw,” he says. He recommends filling up on kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, nuts and seeds, berries, beans, onions and mushrooms.

Lindsay S. Nixon, author of The Happy Herbivore Guide to Plant-Based Living and related cookbooks, has traveled from her home in Los Angeles across the country and around the world, finding plant-based foods wherever she goes. “Almost every city has a Thai or Italian restaurant where you should be able to find something on the menu or adapt a dish to stick with plants,” she says. “You might have to get a little creative. I once asked for salsa and a plain, baked potato; not a bad combo, as it turns out.”

The Fast Path to Flushing Toxins

by Deanna Minich

Doctors, health experts and fitness gurus tell us that we should break a sweat every day—and for good reason. Sweat not only activates a host of benefits tied to health-boosting exercise, perspiring itself is curative. Whether sitting in a sauna, walking on a warm day or working out, sweating is a necessary bodily function with powerful healing effects.

By clearing out a range of toxins, sweat plays an essential role in the body's natural detoxifying function. Here are some of the toxins it helps eliminate:

1.Persistent organic pollutants (solvents, fumigants and insecticides): A clinical study of 20 participants published in BioMed Research International found that their sweat samples contained a range of toxins, including pesticides DDT/DDE, endosulfan, methoxychlor and endrin. Nearly all parent compounds of these pesticides were evident, demonstrating that sweating is an effective way of excreting and diminishing the body’s toxic burden. One sweat sample contained some pesticides not present in the subject’s blood or urine samples, suggesting that some pesticides are only mobilized and eliminated through sweating.

2.Phthalate (plasticizer): Phthalate, found in plastic products, is also removed through sweat. Research published in the Scientific World Journal evaluated blood, sweat and urine samples from 20 individuals and discovered that all of them contained the common mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP). The concentrations of this toxin in sweat were more than twice as high as those in the urine, showing that sweating may be the best way of ridding the body of this endocrine-disrupting compound.

3.Heavy metals: Another study of 20 patients reported in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology found that subjects’ sweat contained about 24 times more cadmium, 19 times more nickel, 16 times more lead and almost three times more aluminum than their urine. Overall, sweat proved more effective than urine at removing 14 of the 18 heavy metals studied. It also contained and, therefore, expelled larger quantities of 16 of the 18 metals than the blood samples did.

Of all the metals, aluminum was found at the highest concentrations in sweat, with zinc, copper and nickel also occurring at relatively high levels.

4.Bisphenol A (BPA): Researchers reporting in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health examined the blood, urine and sweat of 20 participants for BPA, an endocrine-disrupting toxin found in canned foods, plastic water bottles and other items. Of the 20 sweat samples collected, 16 contained BPA, while only 14 urine and 2 blood samples tested positive for the toxin.

This reveals that sweat is the most effective way of removing BPA build-up in the body; just as vital, it demonstrates that testing blood or urine for toxicity levels may not present the whole picture.

A wide range of activities, including exercising and engaging in sports, can help us break a sweat. A low-impact option is spending time in a sauna. Notably, in a focused study, the sweat from an infrared sauna expelled more bismuth, cadmium, chromium, mercury and uranium than that produced by a steam sauna. The steam sauna caused higher levels of arsenic, aluminum, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, lead, tin, thallium and zinc to be excreted (Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology).

Hydration is essential in maximizing all these health benefits. Failure to hydrate properly during and after sweating can lead to other health problems. An easy rehydration practice is to step on the scales right before and after sweating; the weight lost is the optimum amount of water to drink afterwards (Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine). For reference, one pound of water is slightly less than a one-half liter.

Sweat contains minerals essential for optimal functioning of the whole body. Following excessive sweating, it’s important to replace the minerals lost, especially zinc, copper, selenium, chromium and potassium. Coconut water is a good source of potassium; nuts, seafood, whole grain and legumes generally contain relatively high doses of zinc, copper, selenium and chromium.

The next time the couch and air conditioning beckon, think of all the “sweaty” benefits about to be sacrificed. Breaking a sweat might seem like an effort, but it keeps internal detox systems healthy and optimally functioning.

Deanna Minich, Ph.D., is an author, teacher, and researcher, as well as founder of Food & Spirit, a framework to integrate ancient healing traditions with modern science. She leads online detox programs as part of her whole-self approach to health. Connect at DeannaMinich.com.

Money influences our choice of job or home, and sense of security, worth and power; it can also make life more or less convenient. Yet, despite its essential importance, money is often a forbidden topic among family members.

Money Talk Taboo

“We are not taught how to have a relationship with money on a psychological or spiritual level; it isn’t part of our culture,” explains Bari Tessler, a Boulder, Colorado, financial therapist and author of The Art of Money. “The majority of our parents and grandparents didn’t receive a financial education, so they don’t understand emotions around money or how to talk about it.”

Tessler works with individuals, couples and creative entrepreneurs to help them “claim their worth in the world and bring their skills and values into the marketplace,” she says. Money is a frequent source of tension among couples, but Tessler notes it wasn’t even talked about in her graduate-level psychology training. “Money is emotional territory for people. You can’t just go to a financial planner, plot a budget and be on your merry way,” she observes.

Shifting Our Perceptions

To change our relationship with money, Tessler says we need to understand our “money stories” that include the ways in which our personal experiences, together with subconsciously inherited familial and cultural attitudes, shape how we think about money.

“The first step to changing our money habits is being willing to sit with the tough issues,” says Mayuri Onerheim, author of Money Spirituality Consciousness, a retired accountant and spiritual teacher of the Diamond Approach of self-realization, in Larkspur, California. “There is no change without some discomfort. It’s part of the spiritual journey.”

Self-care, forgiveness and acceptance are important throughout this process, advises Tessler, because many people bring feelings of guilt and shame to their relationship with money. She recommends doing a “body check-in” to become aware of our physical reaction to related issues, whether its going on a reckless spending spree or bracing to ask for a raise. This stage paves the way for the practical work of learning to manage our money in alignment with our values, goals and dreams. It begins with developing practices to track, review and reflect upon regarding spending and earning patterns.

Tactical Tools

Tessler recommends utilizing one of many free financial tracking tools like Mint.com, YNAB.com or MoneyMinderOnline.com. She also suggests we rename their preloaded budget categories to reflect our personal relationships to the areas of spending (e.g., “sanctuary” rather than mortgage; “my dream vacation” for savings targeted for time off; or “life happens” for late fees).

For an enlightened view of cash flows, Onerheim suggests translating what was spent on something into the hours it took to earn the money. “This perspective can transform how we allocate resources and what we’re willing to spend money on,” she says.

Vicki Robin, co-author of the bestseller Your Money or Your Life, espouses a similar approach: thinking of money in terms of hours of life energy. “Continually asking yourself whether you actually got fulfillment in proportion to life energy spent in each subcategory awakens the natural sense of knowing when enough is enough,” she writes.

Tessler and Onerheim both encourage rethinking the idea that all earning is good and all spending is bad: “It’s about balancing needs and wants, and we need joy in life. It’s not about saving every penny and not enjoying yourself,” says Onerheim.

A Rewarding Journey

Becoming financially conscious ultimately helps us fulfill our responsibility to be a good steward of the planet’s resources, according to Onerheim. “Money is a representation of myself in the world, so I want to take responsibility for where my money goes.”

“Financial integrity is achieved by learning the true impact of your earning and spending, both on your immediate family and on the planet,” agrees Robin. “It is knowing what is enough money and material goods to keep you at the peak of fulfillment—and what is just excess and clutter.”

All call for celebrating progress on the journey to financial well-being and know-how. “Take baby steps and reward yourself along the way,” counsels Tessler. “This is a lifelong journey.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

We have ups and downs in life, and the same is true of our finances.

~ Bari Tessler

I see money as a garden of life; it’s important not to under- or over-water it in terms of the attention you give it.

Research from the University of Pittsburg, in Pennsylvania, has established that structured physical activity following a stroke can significantly improve cognitive function in survivors. The study used data from 13 clinical trials that included 735 participants to analyze general cognitive improvement, executive function, attention and working memory, as well as the impact of different types of physical activity.

Researchers found that exercise following a stroke produced cognitive improvements in both attention and speed in processing information. They further discovered that a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training produced the maximum cognitive improvements.

“We found that a program as short as 12 weeks is effective at improving cognition, and even patients with chronic stroke can experience improvements in their cognition with an exercise intervention,” says lead author Lauren E. Oberlin, a graduate student at the university.

You know that mercury is bad for people. John Moore, a prominent 20th-century mercury and dental health researcher, regarded mercury as a ubiquitous contaminant of everything from plastics to concrete and medicine. But what about your dog? Pets also routinely encounter mercury and other toxic metals like aluminum and lead.

For humans, eating whole, organic and even biodynamic food has become imperative to avoid heavy metals. That’s also true for canines. A species-appropriate raw diet including veggies is often recommended. And any raw meaty bones should be the joints and not the long bones unless purchased from a company that tests for heavy metals.

Here are some preventive and remedial steps.

1. Heal leaky gut first. Like humans, pets with leaky gut will have food allergies. Remove causes like vaccines and processed foods; support the liver; rebalance with prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes; replenish with a healthy whole foods diet, along with aloe, slippery elm and marshmallow root; and restore with homeopathic remedies. Follow up with fermented veggies as part of the diet. Consult a naturopathic veterinarian for treatment.

2. Provide clean, filtered water. Mountain spring water is ideal.

3. Boost nutrients. Nutrient deficiencies that can arise in conjunction with mercury poisoning include antioxidant vitamins A, C, E and vitamin D, plus the complex of B vitamins, zinc, magnesium and selenium. These also help treat potential post-vaccination immunity issues.

Turmeric: a powerful supplement to help treat and prevent gene damage caused by heavy metals and glyphosate (one-eight to one-quarter teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight per day, combined with a healthy fat like coconut oil and some freshly ground black pepper for better absorption).

4. Prevent and treat candida. Avoid aggravating candida as it can release 60-plus toxic substances, including ethanols and the heavy metals it eats. Eliminate all carbs, sugar and grains from the dog’s diet.

5. Greens, minerals and herbs. The use of juvenile grasses is detoxifying and provides necessary magnesium during a detox. Sea vegetables can supply calcium, iodine and trace minerals. Herbs like curcumin, ginger and cayenne are potent antioxidants; ginger and turmeric help with DNA repair. Nutrients from green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli can enter cells and reduce inflammation; broccoli sprouts also apply, with effective delivery method via a concentrated powder.

Blend or lightly steam veggies to enhance digestion, then add one tablespoon for smaller dogs, or three to four for larger dogs.

6. No fake food or vitamins. Be wary of synthetic vitamins. Whole foods may be properly supplemented with gentle chelators like open cell wall chlorella and super foods like spirulina.

7. Probiotics plus. Probiotics help restore healthy gut bacteria, repair genes, synthesize nutrients and help remove mercury from the body. Cultivating a gut garden of beneficial bugs boosts health. Add a teaspoon or two of kefir or fermented veggies to the dinner of small dogs, up to a tablespoon or two for larger animals. A high-quality refrigerated probiotic supplement is an option; if it’s made for animals, follow the package directions; for human products, assume the dose is for a 150-pound person and adjust for the dog’s weight.

Amino acids, the primary building blocks of proteins, are integral to detoxification; feeding a dog a variety of meats, along with fish and eggs, will provide these. Digestive enzymes also support health; a supplement should include many kinds. Cellulase, a plant enzyme that helps digest plant material, also extracts mercury, which destroys naturally occurring enzymes.

8. Plan meals with prebiotics. Prebiotics occur naturally in common high-fiber foods including cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and spinach. Carrots, beets and spirulina also benefit the gut. Establishing a healthy gut restores the body’s natural detoxification function, plus its ability to assimilate critical nutrients. Add a teaspoon or two for small dogs; one to three tablespoons for larger dogs.

10. Organ meats. A dog should have organ meats from clean animals at least once a week, or as 10 percent of its diet.

As the body detoxifies, symptoms and discharges may occur. These are less common for dogs with raw, species-appropriate diets and minimal vaccinations. Visible results include old dogs displaying more energy and sharper cognitive function and awareness. Eyes are clearer. Fatty tissues shrink down, coats fill out and become shinier and skin becomes healthier. As the largest organ, skin reflects the state of the immune system as a whole.

Patricia Jordan is a naturopathic veterinarian in Cape Carteret, NC. Learn more at Dr-Jordan.com.

Doggie Detox Tips

Be aware that glyphosate in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide is prevalent in nonorganic foods, widely used as a weed killer and to dry crops before harvesting. This hidden poison in the presence of ingested mercury makes both the glyphosate and mercury 1,000 times more toxic.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Dr. Stephani Seneff, author of the article “The Destructive Effects of Heavy Metals and Glyphosate,” reports that glyphosate is a major driver of disease. The toxin stays in a pet’s bones as well as the bones of the food-producing animals eating genetically modified (GMO) grains that dogs chew on.

• Avoid chemicals and toxins in lawn care, household cleaners and body care products. Grow food or patronize a best practices local farmer.

• Be diligent in sourcing for clean, unprocessed food. Learn about biodynamic farming and step up from organic to biodynamic.

• Don’t hamper the immune system with unsafe and unnecessary vaccinations and drugs.

• Spend time in the sunshine.

• Exercise. The lymphatic system won’t work and the body can’t purge spent mitochondria or make new ones without it.

• Incorporate beneficial bugs through prebiotics and probiotics and enzymes. Learn to ferment and sprout, and add these ingredients to family and pet meals.

Joint disease, specifically arthritis, is a common problem in dogs and cats, especially as they age. The causes are many and include obesity, inflammation, immune dysfunction and normal wear and tear in joints. Conventional therapies include steroids, non-steroidal medications, analgesic medications to control pain and surgery, when applicable.

Clinical signs of arthritis include joint stiffness, pain, difficulty getting up and down, a pet’s decreased desire to walk or exercise and increased aggression due to pain. Keep in mind that other causes may be misdiagnosed as “arthritis”, but are related to another disease.

Many natural therapies for joint disease include acupuncture, chiropractic, cold laser treatment, physical therapy, Chinese and Western herbal therapies, nutrition and diet, homotoxicology and homeopathy. Several key homeopathic remedies recommended for human relief in osteoarthritic knee, hip and finger joints by Dr. Vikas Sharma, of Chandigarh, India, may also be helpful for pets with joint injury and pain, according to The Arthritis Solution for Dogs & Cats (PetCareNaturally.com). Consult a holistic veterinarian for individual treatment options.

Arnica: This is a mainstay of homeopathy, as noted in the New World Veterinary Repertory, and applies to anything related to bones and joints. It is useful for chronic arthritis, especially if the painful parts of the body seem to worsen when moved or touched.

Bryonia Alba: It’s especially helpful for pets showing signs of stiffness and inflammation with pain made worse as the pet moves, especially when rising and lying down. Offset cold dry weather with warmth and humidification. Discomfort is aggravated when the affected body part is touched, bumped or moved about, which may spur aggressive behavior, so show tender care and respect. Relief typically comes when the pet rests the affected part.

Calcarea carbonica: This remedy may ease deeply aching arthritis, particularly if bony or fibrous tissue has formed around joints. Avoid cold and dampness. Signs alerting a veterinarian to the problem may include muscle weakness, fatigue from exertion and a feeling of chilliness or sluggishness (these pets may also be hypothyroid).

Kali carbonicum: Pets with advanced arthritis showing joints that are thickened or deformed may benefit from kali. Stiffness and pain are typically worse in the morning from cold, damp weather, so that’s an ideal time for applying prescribed treatment.

Rhus toxicodendron: This is useful for many arthritic pets and especially those with rheumatoid arthritis, which is rare. The remedy is also beneficial for pets that start the day stiff and in pain, but improve with continued movement. Protect against cold, wet weather.

Ruta graveolens: Another widely recognized arthritis remedy, ruta grav is for pets with arthritis that is exacerbated by cold and damp and exertion. It may be prescribed for affected and damaged tendons and capsules of the joints, when arthritis may have developed from overuse, repeated wear and tear and associated chronic inflammation.

The practice of functional medicine teaches combinations of complementary therapies suited to the individual pet’s needs. Homeopathics can be a beneficial element in treating animals suffering from a variety of joint disorders.

Shawn Messonnier, a doctor of veterinary medicine practicing in Plano, TX, is the author of The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats and Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets.

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]]>Sat, 06 May 2017 14:29:42 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80656_the_lifelong_lessons_of_being_a_dad.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80656_the_lifelong_lessons_of_being_a_dad.htmlThe Lifelong Lessons of Being a Dad

by Ben Greenman

What is being a father? Being a father is, at least in part, about beginning. It is rejuvenating to locate ourself near the start of a child’s life. There are so many chances to get it right. The thought that we might also get it wrong flits across our mind, but it’s gone before we can even shiver at its presence. It’s also about returning to that question again and again, each time failing to acquire additional insight.

“What isn’t being a father?” is a better question. Being a father isn’t indifference, but neither is it a steady stream of calm wisdom or a place of consistent self-control or a clearly delineated set of exercises engineered to help produce self-knowledge in offspring. Bridges are engineered. We stare into our little one’s eyes, beaming thoughts that we hope are received, translated and appreciated, waiting for a beam to come back to us. Children are worked toward, clumsily, imperfectly, with a deep and near religious faith in trial and error. Children are refined over time with the assistance of many imperfect philosophies.

When our second child opted in, my wife and I compared baby pictures of the two boys. “They look different,” I said. “That’s not why I’m looking at them,” she said. “I want to remember this.” I remember looking at the pictures with her only because she has told me about it.

If, in part, fatherhood is remembering things that did not exactly happen, it is also forgetting things that did happen, some transformative to a degree that I could not have imagined five seconds before they occurred. Afterwards, I knew I would never be the same again. But I was.

As children grow, they are not the same again. Parenting boys instead of babies is already a grand departure from everything I have learned up until now and I am just coming to see that it will be this way always. Recently, in trying to figure out when a man that is not a father becomes a man that is a father, I remarked to my sons. “Even though I know being a father has changed me forever, I remember certain things that happened, but not as many as I would have thought.”

My older son explained, “Maybe it’s because you are thinking of us more than yourself. Maybe you want time to pass so we can get to the next thing in our lives.” My younger son zeroed in, “The problem is that you think it’s parenting when really it’s childing.”

He’s right. What is being a father? It’s letting someone else be a child. It’s suffering through certain kinds of abstract pain so that they don’t. It’s bearing the brunt of disappointments so that they can go on feeling invincible. It’s teaching how to forget as much as it is teaching how to remember… but it is still very near the beginning.

Ben Greenman is a widely published author and journalist in Greater New York. Connect at BGreenman.com.

Keeping the family in sync about the amount of digital media use is challenging. Here are some expert tips on maintaining a healthy balance.

Decide the ground rules — “Determine rules that make sense for everyone, and it’ll be much easier to get your kids on board, as they won’t see it as arbitrary when you tell them to put their devices away,” advises Pediatrician Corinn Cross. HealthyChildren.org/MediaUsePlan offers a free interactive online tool to create a personalized Family Media Use Plan.

Be wary of even “good” screen time — Test educational apps before approving them for kids to ensure their quality and so parents can help reinforce the learning, says Cross. She likes CommonSenseMedia.org for parental reviews and information to filter media of all kinds, from apps and games to TV shows.

Consider advocating for limiting screen time in local schools. “I asked my boys’ elementary school not to give them portable devices until they were 10,” says Nicholas Kardaras, the father of 9-year-old twins.

Watch out for rewards — Some screen time is more mesmerizing for kids than others, according to Kardaras, who treats such addictions. Most video games are designed on a variable reward schedule, similar to slot machines, which intentionally stimulates players to chase future rewards. Consider stricter limits on such media.

Play first in the real world — Because it reduces overall exercise, screen overuse can contribute to obesity. Cross recommends prioritizing exercising before daily allotted screen time; after being online, it’s more difficult to engage kids in physical activity.

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]]>Sat, 06 May 2017 14:26:38 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80653_how_to_set_boundaries_in_the_digital_era.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80653_how_to_set_boundaries_in_the_digital_era.htmlHow to Set Boundaries in the Digital Era

by April Thompson

Minecraft. Pokemon. Snapchat. Digital media dominates childhood. That time youngsters used to spend playing with friends, being with family or sleeping? It’s been zapped. According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 8-to-10-year-olds are daily exposed to nearly eight hours of on-screen media and heavy media users are twice as likely to report poor grades.

Conscientious and concerned parents are setting limits on screen time and reclaiming family time. Experts, too, are working to define a “new healthy” at a time when many activities, from homework to shopping, are moving online.

“How can you begin to limit kids’ screen time when teachers are increasingly using media?” queries Pediatrician Corinn Cross, who practices in Los Angeles. “It’s hard. None of us grew up with this level of technology, and it’s moving faster than any advice can.”

Nip It Early

Cross co-authored the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recently updated digital media guidelines, which shifted from strict time limits to greater flexibility for and within different age groups. For children under 18 months, the recommendation is to avoid media altogether outside of video chats with loved ones. In the older age ranges, the guidelines are less prescriptive and more about setting individual limits that ensure getting enough sleep, physical activity and other basic developmental needs.

Cross believes excessive screen time is particularly detrimental for younger kids that have fewer waking hours and more developing to do. “Toddlers don’t learn well from screens, so you will have limited return from using screens for education,” she observes.

Kathy Marrocco, an Oakland Township, Michigan, blogger with YourOrganicChild.com, initially worried about her kids’ potential adverse exposure to radiation from cell phone use. Her concern soon turned to other big impacts of digital media encroaching on their lives. She cites a study of 3,000 parents of school-aged kids, which found that nearly two-thirds of the children are using their devices at night instead of sleeping, with a corresponding drop in concentration, memory and energy.

Marrocco maintains firm boundaries with her daughter, 13, and son, 18, prohibiting the use of electronics at the kitchen table and in their rooms at night, in line with AAP recommendations. “They can only have devices in their room at night if they are in offline ‘airplane mode’ so they won’t be tempted to check or respond to incoming messages,” she says.

Kids don’t sleep well next to their phones, agrees Cross, a mother of three, ages 4, 6 and 8. “They have trouble falling and staying asleep.” She also doesn’t let her children use e-readers instead of books.

Prevent Screen Addiction

Psychotherapist Nicholas Kardaras, Ph.D., an addiction expert and executive director of The Dunes, a rehab clinic in East Hampton, New York, is even firmer about screen time, having seen some kids go off the digital deep end. Delaying the onset of screen exposure is the most critical step a parent can take, suggests Kardaras. “There’s no evidence to suggest media exposure is beneficial to child development. Most tech geniuses, including the founders of Google, Amazon and Apple, were not exposed to it until adolescence.

“Treating digital addiction is challenging because you can’t be digitally abstinent in this society,” he continues. “Prevention is the key.”

Digital media abuse can have lasting developmental impacts, according to Kardaras, author of Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking our Kids and How to Break the Trance. DrKardaras.com cites numerous studies on the effects of such intensive use, from increased prevalence of attention deficit disorder to higher rates of depression. Brain imaging studies from institutions such as the medical schools at Indiana University and University of Utah have shown how heavy exposure to digital media has similar effects on the brain as substance addiction, reports Kardaras, affecting areas of the brain linked with functions like impulse control, brain connectivity and processing speed.

In his practice, red flags for potential digital addiction include strong reactions when devices are taken away, disinterest in “offline” activities, suffering interpersonal relationships and dropping grades.

Modeling good practices is as important as monitoring kids’ behavior, suggests Cross. In her household, all electronic tablets and cell phones are kept in a drawer when not in use. “If I have work to do or have to take a phone call, I’ll go to another room, then come back and be present with the kids,” she says. “Quality, face-to-face time is important.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

One of my children’s friends got so addicted to a video game that it changed his personality; seeing it happen scared my kids straight.

~Nicholas Kardaras

Media and screens are best used purposefully, to achieve a specified goal.

While some carmakers are filling showrooms with ever-larger gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles (SUV) thanks to lower gas prices, some car-buyers want to do just the opposite and go greener with their wheels. Fortunately, more eco-friendly options exist than ever before—many of which come with surprising personal benefits in addition to a cleaner, greener planet.

The green share of the U.S. auto market, combining battery electrics, hybrids and plug-in hybrids, peaked at 3.8 percent in 2013, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Despite a record 59 models available now, the share was just 2.87 percent in 2016. As Millennials—the generation that could be buying 40 percent of all new vehicles by 2020—fully emerge into the marketplace, eco-car numbers could zoom, although some think it’s possible they’ll by shunning car purchases for car-sharing services.

“The market has continued to shift to crossovers and big SUVs, and there aren’t many available hybrid models in those categories,” says Sam Abuelsamid, senior research analyst at Navigant Research. “We expect that to change in the next couple of years, when vehicles like the hybrid Ford Explorer reach the public.” Navigant projects only 3.4 percent annual compounded growth in hybrid sales by 2025, but a much more robust 31 percent rise in battery-run electrics.

“Conventional hybrids without a plug no longer have the halo they once had,” says Bradley Berman, founder of HybridCars.com. “The cutting edge has moved to electric cars with ever-bigger battery packs and longer electric range. With gas prices at relatively low levels, the green car market remains a small niche.”

Getting a Green Bargain

Many of the greener choices are currently a tremendous bargain for consumers. The federal government currently offers a tax credit of up to $4,500 for electrified vehicles, and many states kick in with added subsidies. Highlights include maximums available for electric vehicles (EV) with big batteries: California, $1,500 in rebates, plus single-occupant use of the high-occupancy vehicle lanes; Colorado, $5,000; Connecticut, $3,000; Delaware, $2,200; Maryland, $3,000; Massachusetts, $2,500; Michigan, $2,500; Pennsylvania, $2,000; Rhode Island, $2,500; Texas, $2,500; and Utah, $750.

The Prius Prime is a prime example of the savings available. The acclaimed plug-in hybrid, with an electric range of 25 miles, starts at $27,100, before subsidies. In California, it would be $21,100. That means this well-equipped plug-in hybrid is, for state purchasers, approximately $3,585 less than a base Prius liftback hybrid ($24,685). It’s a buyer’s market for green cars, as manufacturers incentivize them to meet federal and California fuel economy averages. Buyers are encouraged to act now before subsidies disappear.

Hyundai is taking an interesting approach with its green Ioniq line, offering, beginning this year, affordable battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the same midsized car platform. “This is about freedom for the customer—they can choose the level of electrification that fits them,” says Mike O’Brien, Hyundai vice president of corporate and product planning.

Great Green Choices

Here are some more good choices.

Battery electric: Chevrolet Bolt. With the Bolt—GM’s first battery electric since the EV1—the buyer can get from zero to 60 miles per hour (mph) in 6.5 seconds from its 200-horsepower motor plus attain 238 miles of range from its huge, 60-kilowatt-hour battery, winning it 2017 MotorTrend Car of the Year, Green Car Journal’s 2017 Green Car of the Year and 2017 North American Car of the Year from a jury of automotive journalists. Prices start at $36,620, but subsidies can top $10,000.

Plug-in hybrid: Audi A3 e-tron. The power (204 horsepower) and zero-to-60 mph time capability is similar to the Bolt, but the A3 offers a more sumptuous cabin and Audi’s celebrated driving dynamics. The electric range is a mere 16 miles, but 380 miles total using the 1.4-liter, four-cylinder gas engine. Prices start at $38,900, but it qualifies for a $4,500 federal tax credit and some state subsidies, too.

Hybrid car: Toyota Highlander. Mildly updated for 2017, the Highlander is the only three-row hybrid SUV currently available, making it worth considering. Good news includes a power increase in the 3.5-liter V-6 (to 306 horsepower), though there’s a small fuel-economy penalty. The hybrid is rated at 30 miles per gallon in the city, 28 highway and 29 combined. The bottom line is $36,270 without subsidies.

Other worthy cars: The fuel-cell powered Honda Clarity, Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Tucson (for southern Californians), any of the Ioniqs; the versatile plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt; and the quick BMW i3 and i8 and Tesla Model S if the budget allows.

Jim Motavalli is an author, freelance journalist and speaker specializing in clean automotive and other environmental topics. He lives in Fairfield, CT. Connect at JimMotavalli.com.

A robotic, laser-guided automated vehicle, manufactured by Shenzhen-based Yeefung Automation Technology Co. Ltd., has been installed in the Chinese city of Nanking. Called GETA (get a car), the robot slides under a vehicle, picks it up, finds a parking space in a lot and places it in even the tightest of slots in about two minutes.

Yeefung General Manager Wu Hao says that the company developed the robot in response to limited parking in big cities worldwide, increasing efficiency by 20 to 40 percent. China has about 172 million vehicles on the road and projects that number to increase to 250 million by 2020.

An amendment to a law that governs the cosmetology industry in Illinois recognizes that the relationship between hairdressers and their customers may help curb domestic abuse and sexual assault. Salon workers are required to take one hour of training every two years to know the signs and provide resources to help clients. Without the training, cosmetologists, hairstylists, nail technicians and aestheticians will not be able to renew their licenses.

Angela Smith, a Chicago hairstylist, has heard many whispers of mistreatment by spouses or partners, of being choked, chased or emotionally abused. “Everybody doesn’t talk, but once you build a relationship, it happens,” she says.

The law does not require salon workers to act on their suspicions, but helps them to recognize warning signs and be equipped to pass along helpful information. Available support includes hotlines, safe houses, restraining orders and access to legal professionals.

Many Americans have been confused the “sell by” labels on groceries for 40 years. Now, the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the two largest industry trade groups, are adopting voluntary standardized regulations to clarify.

Instead of using up to 10 different phrases to communicate safety, they have settled on just two: “Use By”, a safety designation to indicate when perishable foods are no longer good; and “Best if Used By”, an estimate of when the manufacturer thinks the product should be consumed for peak flavor.

Studies show that consumers generally believe the current labels all signal whether a product is safe to eat, and that it will still be okay well after its so-called expiration date. At the same time prematurely tossed groceries dominate landfills and produce greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and a coalition of environmental groups have been urging the industry to clear this up. The change is scheduled to take hold in July 2018.

Last year, the United Nations International Year of Pulses recognized dry peas, lentils and chickpeas because they are affordable, nutritious and have a low eco-footprint. New innovative plant-based proteins will extend the options.

The Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition reported that vegetarians can save at least $750 annually over meat eaters by reducing or replacing consumption of animal products and switching to edibles from sources that adhere to higher animal welfare standards.

The Impossible Burger simulates the sizzle, the smell and the juicy first bite of the real thing to rave reviews. The similar Beyond Burger is a hit at Whole Foods Markets.

Tyson Foods is investing in the protein alternative company, Beyond Meat, and launching a $150 million venture capital fund to support plant-based foods. Some large Germany meat producers also are seeking to diversify with plant-based versions of traditional meaty favorites.

Hyundai demonstrated its Ioniq autonomous, or driverless, hybrid car concept at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, demonstrating that such vehicles—equipped with sophisticated sensors, GPS and computers—could be for sale within five to seven years.

Safety is paramount. Estimates for the U.S., based on a 2013 Eco Center for Transportation study, projected that if 90 percent of vehicles were autonomous, the number of driving-related deaths would plummet from an annual 32,400 to 11,300.

“Drivers are excited that driverless cars will offer 90 percent fewer U.S. traffic accidents, 40 percent lower insurance costs, the end of drunk driving accidents and newfound freedom for seniors and people with disabilities,” says Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association. Its 2016 report Self-Driving Vehicles: Consumer Sentiments found that nearly 75 percent of consumers surveyed like the proffered benefits.

In Driverless, authors Hod Lipson and Melba Kurman highlight significant ecological benefits, including McKinsey research findings that driverless cars’ will yield up to 20 percent fuel savings, and corresponding reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Their smoother driving also extends a vehicle’s useful life.

Ford intends to deliver a fully autonomous vehicle for ride sharing in 2021, according to Mark Fields, Ford Motor Company president and CEO. Companies such as Uber and Lyft already are testing driverless vehicles in pilot cities.

Recognition helps. In the North and West, it’s usually a shrub; in the East, Midwest and South, a vine. Watch out for a cluster of three leaves; the color changes seasonally.

For outdoor walks or hikes, maximize skin protection by wearing long-sleeved shirts, hats, rubber gloves, socks and closed-toe shoes. Also thoroughly rinse skin that may have come into contact with poison ivy in lukewarm, soapy water using a washcloth or hand towel for friction as soon as possible to remove the damaging oil (video at Tinyurl.com/Wash-Off-Poison-Ivy).

Natural treatments found at DrAxe.com include applying apple cider vinegar or brewed and chilled black tea; their tannins and other compounds lower inflammatory reactions.

To reduce itching, GlobalHealingCenter.com suggests baking soda baths and pastes. Ditch the Itch Cream, with natural ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal, oat extract, tea tree and neem oils, can provide temporary relief according to Eartheasy.com. Applying cool paper towels may be helpful; also try witch hazel. Over-the-counter cortisone cream or even calamine lotion is a last resort.

Avoid scratching as an infection may develop through opening a blister. If breathing or swallowing worsens, eyes swell or a rash develops in or near the mouth, head to an emergency room or urgent care center.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 25 percent of Americans, or 76.2 million, are suffering from pain that lasts more than 24 hours at this very moment: Ouch!

Lower back pain alone keeps Americans from going to work a total of 149 million days each year, costing the U.S. economy $100 to $200 billion, reports the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Other common types of chronic pain: musculoskeletal tissues, knees, hips or the neck. Migraines and severe headaches plague 16.6 percent of adults over 18, per a National Health and Nutrition Survey. Neurological discomfort can reach as high as 12.4 percent, estimates a study from the Mayo Clinic study, in Rochester, Minnesota. Even visceral or organ pain associated with heart disease, cancer and pelvic diseases occur in at least 20 percent of the global population, according to the International Association for the Study of Pain, in Seattle.

If chronic pain is affecting you, you feel it and want relief—right now.

Watch Out for Opioids

Unfortunately, conventional medicine often has little to offer most pain patients. Even for something as pervasive as back pain, surgery and steroid injections are usually an unsatisfactory first line of defense, having mixed results at best, seconded by prescriptions for addictive opioid painkillers.

There were “…an estimated 2.1 million people in the U.S. suffering from substance abuse disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers in 2012,” Dr. Nora D. Vokov, director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, told the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control in 2014. The problem is worsening. Every day, 1,000 people are treated in emergency rooms for misusing prescription opioids, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Go Natural for Effective Relief

Such statistics expose the magnitude of the problem of chronic pain. “It’s daunting, but there are many natural ways to address it that are inexpensive, effective and with what I call side benefits rather than negative side effects,” says Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, of Kona, Hawaii, author of the cell phone app Cures A-Z.

Complementary, integrative or functional medicine, all names for a holistic approach to health care, offer a comforting wealth of gentle ways to address chronic pain, most of which the vast majority of conventional medical doctors are unaware, says Daniel Cherkin, Ph.D., senior investigator emeritus with the Group Health Research Institute, at the University of Washington, in Seattle.

Here are just some of the many natural and affordable forms of pain relief.

Try the Yass method: Mitchell Yass, Ph.D., of St. John’s, Florida, author of The Pain Cure Rx, is busting the myth that musculoskeletal pain is often caused by osteoarthritis. “Arthritis or joint deterioration is rarely the cause of joint pain,” says Yass. He points out that 90 percent of people over 60 have herniated discs, but no associated pain.

Yass treats patients based on his observation that in up to 98 percent of the cases he sees, weak muscles are the underlying cause of joint pain, and strengthening them provides relief. He says his prescribed exercises are usually effective in days or a few weeks.

“Pain is an indication of tissue in distress. For example, pain in the shoulder area is often an impingement of the bicep,” he says. His prescription is strengthening exercises using hand weights for the trapezoid, tricep and serratus anterior muscles. His book suggests a detailed self-diagnosis program and the necessary exercises to strengthen muscles and relieve joint pain (more at Tinyurl.com/YassIntroInfo).

Address underlying trauma: Osteopath Maud Nerman, of Novato, California, author of Healing Pain and Injury, has broad experience in treating neurological problems and brain injuries and often focuses on physical and emotional trauma as an underlying cause of chronic pain. She explains that the autonomic nervous system that directs unconscious body functions like breathing, digestion and heartbeat is interrupted by such trauma.

“Trauma literally shocks the nervous system,” she says. “The body cannot turn off the fight-or-flight reaction, causing a firestorm of inflammation that can lead to a variety of serious diseases, overwhelming the body’s ability to manage its own healing.” Her work has showed how readjusting the body, restoring breathing and reactivating the autonomic nervous system can provide relief in short order.

Consider lifestyle, diet and supplements: “Pain is the like ‘check oil’ light on a car’s dashboard. It signals that something needs attention,” says Teitelbaum, author of Pain Free 1-2-3. “If the oil light goes on, putting a Band-Aid over it or smashing it with a hammer won’t help.”

Teitelbaum recommends an energy optimization approach he dubs SHINE that addresses underlying causes of chronic pain that has worked for 91 percent of the people he’s treated for fibromyalgia and muscle pain.

*Exercise—Daily exercise speeds the healing process and after 10 weeks following the first four SHINE steps, will increase the capacity to exercise.

For migraines, Teitelbaum advocates vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Numerous studies support the effectiveness of dosages of 400 milligrams per day to prevent migraines. After just six weeks of use, a German study published in the European Journal of Neurology shows taking a daily riboflavin supplement cut the number of migraine days in half for participants and significantly reduced the amount of migraine medication needed.

Tap for Relief: Also known as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Tapping Solutions founder Nick Ortner, of Newtown, Connecticut, says “Tapping sends a calming signal to the amygdala in the brain, turning off the fight or flight stress response and allowing the body to heal.” The physical tapping opens up the body’s energy meridians and allows them to relax so the natural healing process can take place, Ortner explains.

EFT combines tapping on specific body points while repeating appropriate affirmative statements such as: “Even though I have this [pain], I love, accept and forgive myself.”

He recalls a woman that arrived at his seminar with a toothache that had lasted for years. Doctors had done X-rays, seen an infection and prescribed antibiotics to no good effect. He asked her if she recalled when the pain began; without hesitation, she answered, “When my mother passed away unexpectedly.”

“So we started working together and the pain reduced significantly right away and eventually disappeared completely,” says Ortner. A follow-up with her dentist showed no sign of the former problem.

EFT to date research is positive. One study from the Energy Medicine University, in Mill Valley, California, found it helped people with chronic pain (some coping with severe fatigue and fibromyalgia) feel physically and emotionally better in as little as a month and another from the Foundation for Epigenetic Medicine in Santa Rosa, CA showed substantially reduced trauma in institutionalized abused teenagers after just one EFT session.

Meditation vs. Medication: Meditation may not resolve the underlying cause of chronic pain, but research from the University of Alabama demonstrates it can interrupt pain signals to the brain. It’s at least as effective as opioid painkillers in relieving chronic pain, according to a study led by Cherkin at the University of Washington.

His team’s 342 subjects that had experienced back pain weekly for at least a year, were offered either eight meditation and yoga classes, eight cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) sessions or just keeping up their own regular daily routines that did not include yoga and meditation. The results, recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, confirm what numerous other studies have reported: 44 percent experienced a “meaningful reduction” in pain within six months of the meditation or CBT sessions, equal to results reported by people taking addictive opioid pharmaceuticals. More, the pain relief continued for up to two years, even if the subjects stopped doing actual sitting meditation.

“Meditation changes the way people think about pain and how they develop skills to keep it from becoming a major focus in their lives,” observes Cherkin.

Regardless of the mechanism, experts in a holistic approach to chronic pain relief agree that encouraging self-control, self-determination and self-empowerment makes a huge difference in patients’ abilities to control pain more naturally and effectively.

Two fun ways to use tennis courts for fitness are showing big increases in popularity.

Meet the new “Pickleball”

You may not have heard of it yet, but pickleball is a mixture of tennis, squash and table tennis and it’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. The USA Pickleball Association (USAPA) at usapa.org estimates that 2.5 million players are active now with the number expected to multiply to 8 million by next year.

Regulation tennis courts especially marked for pickleball facilitate its smaller, 20- by 44-foot playing area. The need for less running about appeals to older players and others, as does the distinctive thud when the hard paddle hits the plastic ball. [Sample video at Tinyurl.com/WinningPickleballShot.]

Christine Barksdale, 48, of Vancouver, Washington, USAPA’s managing director of competition and athlete services, played league tennis from childhood into adulthood until she transferred her passion to pickleball. She assesses that half of participants are “totally focused on pickleball,” while the rest see it as a way to improve their volleying skills for tennis. “It definitely improves reflexes. It’s easy for beginners to pick it up and have fun.” It also introduces kids to racquet sports.

Stretching the shoulders before playing is advised by licensed sports massage therapist Brian Horner, who works with athletes at pickleball, tennis, racquetball and beach volleyball tournaments in Arizona, California and elsewhere. The shoulder is like the handle of a whip in these sports, says Horner, who authored the new ebook Complete Guide to Winning Pickleball (PickleballTournaments.com). “If it isn’t operating normally, more pressure is applied and can strain the elbow and wrist.” Swimming, especially backstrokes, is advised because therapists regard water as a friend of shoulders.

“Sixty to 70 percent of the people that play [here] are retired,” says Steve Munro, owner of the West View Tennis Center, in Morgantown, West Virginia. He also sees the sport as a nice transition for older tennis players.

Pickleball was invented in Washington’s Bainbridge Island in 1965 by then Congressman Joel Pritchard and businessman Bill Bell. Along with the Pacific Northwest, some other major pockets of popularity include Chicago, Phoenix, southern Utah, Orange County, California; and Collier, Lee and Miami-Dade counties, in Florida.

Tennis Goes Cardio

Participants of Cardio Tennis, a Tennis Industry Association program, benefit from high-intensity, aerobic, interval training, using functional movement to run to return shots and move around the court in preparatory footwork drills. It also increases stamina and endurance, which enhances both regular tennis performance and overall fitness.

According to CardioTennis.com (which includes a sample video), men can burn between 500 and 1,000 calories in one, hour-long class; women, between 300 and 500. Estimates put the number engaged in the clinics at 1.82 million nationwide.

“Tennis is a chief component of Cardio Tennis, but it’s much more. It’s a group fitness activity, a major workout that increases the heart rate,” says Chris Ojakian, a global Cardio Tennis trainer and executive director of racquet sports with Elite Racquet Sports (EliteRacquetSports.com), of Marina del Rey, California. They manage and operate tennis programs at facilities nationwide.

A session often consists of a five-to-seven-minute dynamic warm-up including stretching, tossing tennis balls and light tennis play; more tennis lasting 10 to 12 minutes, including “cardio blast” sideline activities like quick footwork drills and jumping jacks when changing sides; 30 minutes of point-based tennis games with constant rotation of players and more cardio blasts; and a five-to-10-minute cool down.

“Participants are moving during the times they’d be waiting their turn to hit the ball in regular tennis clinics, and it works on the kind of quick footwork that’s done in competition,” explains Ojakian, the 2011 U.S. Professional Tennis Association California Pro of the Year.

Sessions, which also include party music and heart rate monitors, are “so fast paced and fun, people often can’t believe when they’re over,” he enthuses. “It accomplishes so much in one hour.”

Larry Carlat, of Venice, California, editor in chief of PurpleClover.com, credits participating in Cardio Tennis sessions with Ojakian twice a week and a healthier diet in the last three-plus years for losing 25 pounds. “You’re never standing still for more than a couple of seconds, and my footwork has improved,” says the 20-year player. “Chris also provides tennis tips during classes. It’s fun and run!”

Randy Kambic, in Estero, FL, is a freelance editor and writer, including for Natural Awakenings magazine.

Hearty greens such as broccoli rabe, kale, Swiss chard and spinach are interchangeable here. A quick sauté until greens are wilted keeps dark colors brilliant. Pile the greens, still dripping with olive oil, atop the toasted bread for an appetizer or delicious side with pasta or pizza.

For the sautéed broccoli rabe:

8 oz broccoli rabe, chopped

1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

tsp kosher or sea salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes (less than tsp)

For the bruschette:

8 slices (½-inch-thick) of Italian country (or gluten-free) bread

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the sautéed broccoli rabe, in a large skillet on the stovetop, heat 2 tablespoons of water and add the broccoli rabe and garlic. Cook until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the red pepper flakes and salt. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

For the bruschette, prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill. Brush each slice with the olive oil and grill 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until it has good grill marks.

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the wilted broccoli rabe on each bruschetta and serve warm.

Thai Shrimp Pizzettes with Coconut and Chiles

Yields: 4 (6- to 8-inch) pizza servings

Green curry paste, available in the Asian section of the grocery, contains green chiles, lemongrass and other tasty seasonings. Ingredients include enough shrimp for nibbling before scattering the bulk of them on the pizzettes.

Unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour for rolling out and dusting

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the green curry coconut sauce, stir together the coconut milk, green curry paste and lime juice in small bowl. Set aside.

For the shrimp pizzettes, soak 8 (12-inch) bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare an indirect medium-hot fire in the grill, with heat on one side and no heat on the other.

Thread the shrimp onto the prepared skewers and brush with olive oil.

Grill shrimp over direct heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until firm, opaque and pink.

Divide the dough into four portions. On a floured surface, pat or roll each portion into a 6-to-8-inch-diameter circle.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush olive oil into a circle that’s a little larger than a pizza, and then place a pizza on the oiled circle. Brush the top of the pizza with olive oil.

Lift the pizza by holding the ends of the parchment paper. At a height of about 6 inches above the grill, flip the circle of dough onto the hot side of the grill grates. Quickly peel off the parchment and close the lid. Grill the pizza base for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it has good grill marks. Turn the pizza with tongs and move it to the indirect side.

Spread the pizza with one-quarter of the green curry coconut sauce. Cover and grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the topping has melted.

Repeat the process with the other pizzas. To serve, top each pizza with grilled shrimp and cilantro.

Baby Arugula, Ricotta, Sea Salt and Olive Oil Pizzas

Yields: 4 (6-to-8-inch) pizza servings

Fresh baby arugula on top gives this pizza a fresh first bite, with creamy, tangy, salty and grill-icious to follow.

Unbleached all-purpose or gluten-free flour for rolling out and dusting

Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

4 cups baby arugula (about 6 oz)

Stir together the ricotta, red pepper flakes and olive oil in a small bowl and adjust the seasonings to taste. Set aside.

Prepare an indirect medium-hot fire in the grill, with heat on one side and no heat on the other.

Divide the dough into four portions. On a floured surface, pat or roll each portion into a 6-to-8-inch-diameter circle.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush olive oil into a circle that’s a little larger than a pizza, and then place a pizza on the oiled circle. Brush the top of the pizza with olive oil.

Lift the pizza by holding the ends of the parchment paper. At a height of about 6 inches above the grill, flip the circle of dough onto the hot side of the grill grates. Quickly peel off the parchment and close the lid. Grill the pizza for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it has good grill marks.

Turn the pizza with tongs and move it to the indirect side. Spread the pizza with one-quarter of the ricotta and sprinkle with one-quarter of the Pecorino Romano. Cover and grill for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Repeat the process with the other pizzas. To serve, top each pizza with 1 cup of arugula.

Grill Your Own Scrumptious Pizzas and Flatbreads

by Claire O’Neil

Summer is high season for grilling when just about anything sizzled over high heat tastes great. Grill masters Karen Adler and Judith Fertig recently put this theory to the test when they fired up their grills—gas and charcoal—to cook bruschetta, panini, flatbreads and pizzas. They tasted so good, they created a cookbook: Patio Pizzeria: Artisan Pizza and Flatbreads on the Grill.

Ready to fire up your barbie? Here are a few pointers using a typical backyard charcoal-style, with toxin-free hardwood lump charcoal, or a barbecue gas grill. Grill grates can be plain or fancy, from a pizza stone to a high-heat pizza oven—all can bring out that charcoal earthiness.

Great Grilled Breads

“No patio pizzeria repertoire is complete without a signature grilled bread. It’s one of the easiest and most flavorful appetizers ever,” says Adler. This dish starts with good whole grain bread, liberally brushed with extra-virgin olive oil on both sides, and then grilled and topped with any number of vegetable mixtures, from fresh sliced tomatoes to sautéed bell peppers or broccoli rabe and garlic. “The bread slices should be big enough to manage on the grill grates with long-handled grill tongs,” she says. “Simply cook on each side until the bread has good grill marks, then add toppings.”

For flatbread, Fertig suggests starting with a pound of fresh pizza dough—healthy grain, if preferred—cut into four pieces. Pat each piece into an oval on a floured surface. “The good thing about flatbread is that it can be just about any shape, so the pressure is off to make it perfectly round.” Brush each oval with olive oil before transferring it directly onto the hot grill grate. When the dough bubbles up like a pancake, turn it with grill tongs and cook the other side. Then top the grilled flatbread with mixtures like honey, pistachios and chive blossoms or freshly chopped herbs and grated pecorino cheese. “Grilled flatbread can go vegan, vegetarian or ‘omnivore-ean’,” she says.

Tiny Pizzas with Big Flavor

Another variation is to step up from flatbread to small, individual pizzas or pizzettes. For this, use the same fresh pizza dough, but roll it into four perfect rounds. One by one, the rounds go on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brushed with olive oil.

“Placing the dough on the oiled parchment paper first and then flipping it upside-down on the grill grates helps keep the dough’s shape better than placing it directly on the grates by hand. This quick flip-and-peel motion is easy once you do it a time or two. Keeping the pizzas small also makes them easier to maneuver on the grill,” advises Adler. After each pizzette bubbles up like a pancake, it needs to be turned and moved to the indirect, or no-heat, side of the grill. There, it gets pizza toppings and can sit for a while with the grill lid closed, so the toppings melt.

Served with a fresh salad or summer fruit, a flatbread or pizzette makes for a perfect summer meal on the grill.

Claire O’Neil is a freelance writer in Kansas City, MO.

]]>Sat, 06 May 2017 14:05:29 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80639_for_a_gentle_birth_just_add_water.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80639_for_a_gentle_birth_just_add_water.htmlFor a Gentle Birth, Just Add Water

“I’m never having another LAND birth again!” That was my statement to my mother after I gave birth to my second child in 2009. It was my first waterbirth, and I loved it so much I went on to have three more waterbirths. I also became a midwife a few years later so that I could help other women and their babies experience the same kind of care in childbirth.

What is Waterbirth?

Waterbirth in the United States has gained in popularity over the past decade or two. Many women are interested in using warm water during labor for its ability to make labor easier and more comfortable. Water immersion during labor is defined as immersion in a tub with depth that allows for complete submersion of the abdomen, so the standard household tub is usually not sufficient to offer the benefits of water immersion.

There can be some confusion among consumers when it comes to the difference between waterbirth and simply laboring in water. Let’s first define and distinguish between “water labor” and “waterbirth.” Water labor is the use of warm water immersion during any stage of labor up to, but not including the actual birth of the baby, whereas waterbirth includes the second stage of labor (pushing) that results in the birth of the baby entirely underwater.

Is it Safe?

More than 28,000 waterbirths have been observed in research studies. The good news is that harmful effects of waterbirth were either non-existent or very rare, and babies born in the water had similar health compared to babies born on land.

There are some situations in which waterbirth is not recommended. Preterm babies (earlier than 37 weeks) should not be born in water. Water labor and birth are also not advised for women with:

Abnormal bleeding

A fever in labor

Active herpes lesions, hepatitis B or C, or HIV

Continuous fetal monitoring (unless the equipment is designed for use in water)

Reduced mobility that would prevent her from leaving the tub quickly if necessary

Epidural analgesia or anesthesia

Administration of opioid or other sedating medications near the time of birth

Any pregnancy condition that can complicate birth or the transition of the baby to extrauterine life

Benefits to the Mother and Baby

Warm water can help a woman relax and feel less pain during labor. Even the sight and sound of water can be calming. Women using water in labor tend to experience:

Less fear and stress

A shorter labor

Greater mobility during labor

Less pain medication

Higher rates of intact perineum

Significantly less chance of episiotomy (vaginal cutting)

Less risk of significant vaginal tearing

Less blood loss

Higher levels of satisfaction

A waterbirth can also make a very smooth transition for the baby who has been growing and developing in a warm water environment for nine months. Rather than being born into a bright, air-filled room, the baby goes from the comfort of the womb into warm water and then is gently lifted out of the water and placed on the mother’s chest. When compared to “land-born” babies, the babies born in water have no difference in APGAR scores (an assessment of the baby’s wellbeing at birth), no difference in newborn infection rates (very rare), no difference in NICU admission rates, and no increase in mortality rates. Umbilical cord tears are rare (2.4 per 1,000 waterbirths) and are reason to proceed cautiously and gently when lifting the baby from the water. Another preventable risk is fetal tachycardia (fast heart rate) caused by high water temperature. For this reason, the water should be maintained between 97°F and 100°F. Just remember that is should be close to body temperature for the most comfort and safety.

How to Have a Waterbirth

Due to several factors, only a handful of hospitals offer waterbirth (none in the Houston area), and very few allow water labor due to continuous fetal monitoring and equipment that is not waterproof. For these reasons, women who desire waterbirth are most likely to find this option at a freestanding birth center or a homebirth with a midwife. A freestanding birth center is a licensed facility which is not affiliated with or owned by a hospital. They are typically run by midwives who have vast experience attending waterbirths. Homebirth midwives often bring an inflatable tub designed for birth to their client’s home to facilitate a smooth and comfortable waterbirth. Midwives follow practice guidelines to ensure safety and infection control. They also utilize equipment that helps them monitor and manage labor while the woman is immersed in warm water (items such as a waterproof Doppler, thermometer, and flashlight).

So, what’s the bottom line? Waterbirth is a reasonable option for low-risk women. If a woman has a strong desire for waterbirth, she should start by seeking out and scheduling consultations with midwives in her area. Good websites for Houston area women to begin their search include houstonmidwives.org or texasmidwives.com. For more information about waterbirth, check out Waterbirth International at waterbirth.org.

About the Author: Ashley Musil is a midwife and co-owner of Wellspring Midwifery Care & Birth Center in Kingwood, Texas. She is also an Evidence Based Birth® Instructor and is passionate about education and healthcare autonomy. She has attended nearly 150 births since 2011, most of which were waterbirths. For more information about her birth center and practice, please visit wellspringbirthcenter.com.

Meditation is a must investment for our children. As a mother of two sons, and an educator at an elementary school, I say this because I see how much it can change the lives of young children in a positive way by planting the seeds of Awake in them. I feel that meditation and realization of the Awake within are the best gift we can give our children.

Each one of us has experienced suffering in life one way or the other in the form of stress or anger or depression. During one such low point in my life, I had the great fortune of meeting Zen Master, Thich Dieu-Thien, who is an awakened Buddhist nun, devoted to teaching the direct path to “Wake Up” from stress, struggles, and conflicts, and return to our original Awake Mind. She taught me that the only way to end suffering is to realize the cause and the source of it. To be able to do this, we need to meditate to go back to our clear, Awake Mind. Zen Meditation means to Wake Up, to know the truth about ourselves and the world around us. I have been going to Universal Door Meditation Center (UDMC) for about six years now, and from what I have learned from my Zen Master, it is possible to Awaken and realize true happiness and true freedom within us to be at ease in any situation, disturbed by nothing.

My two young sons have been going to the meditation class at UDMC for about four years now. They practice meditation at home by sitting regularly and they also apply it at school, at karate class, and everywhere. By coming to meditation class and practicing daily, they get a lot of benefits. They focus more in class and have been performing better in school. They maintain A’s in all subjects. They can listen more and follow instructions better than before. At home, when they play together, many times, arguments and fighting are avoided when they are mindful and catch their unclear mind. Sometimes, when they do start an argument or a fight, they can immediately catch their “dirty water” (mad, angry, irritation, jealousy) and return to their clear, centered Awake Mind. They usually walk away from each other and each one counts from 1-20 and focuses on his breath. Focusing on breath helps them to calm down and know what to do to solve the problems in their level. In addition to their stellar academic performance, and building great relationships with people around them, I also see their health improving. My older son has asthma, but after attending the meditation class and practicing to focus on his breath, his asthma is almost gone. He has asthma only once or twice during the cold season, but other than that he’s doing great. I am sure if he continues to practice regularly, asthma will be completely out of his life soon.

I consider myself lucky to have met my Zen Master, Thich Dieu-Thien. She has changed my life in ways I never imagined and I am a much happier person today. I have reaped so many benefits from her teachings and will continue to walk on this path because I know this is my path to true happiness. I am so glad that my sons are part of this journey. We give so many expensive material gifts to our children, but what could be better than the key to true happiness? UDMC offers classes for youth and teens every Sunday from 11 AM to 12:30 PM followed by lunch. The children practice sitting and walking meditation, and learn to be good listeners, and leaders. I highly recommend this program to all parents out there so they can give the gift of true happiness to their children. This is not only the gift of parental love, but it is the gift of compassion and true, unconditional love.

We were given two ears and one mouth so it’s obvious just by looking at our physical bodies that listening is more important than speaking. Listening to each other as we travel down the road of life is important, but even more important is listening to yourself and your heart. We can’t connect with others if we don’t first connect to ourselves.

“Listen to your heart” is the fifth way to ignite your life in my “IGNITE YOUR LIFE!” art project and community campaign (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) and the word associated with this concept is “LISTEN.” I have been working on these 12 ways for ten years so they are carefully crafted to fall in order beautifully and to have phrases that are meaningful. Listening to your heart follows meditation because once you’ve been still, you can tune in to yourself. I suggest listening to your heart first thing in the morning and then tuning in throughout the day. It’s these moments of quiet reflection and mindfulness that strengthen your intuition and guide you to creating the life you want.

I have always been good at self-listening, but I learned more about it while teaching a 10-week class based on Sonia Choquette’s powerful book, Your Heart’s Desire: Instructions for Creating the Life You Really Want. I found a video of Choquette to show the group and in it, she described a simple way to connect with yourself: put your hand across your heart and state “My heart says ……...” We started doing that at the end of each session and that action became a habit that I now do every morning at the end of my meditation. What’s interesting about this exercise is that my thoughts come through unfettered, without editing. Setting the intention of listening to what my heart says while connecting physically with my heart makes it easy to crystallize that connection. And Choquette makes the leap that listening to your heart increases your psychic ability, a handy tool to have!

An important thing to note about listening to your heart is that you can’t listen when all around you is chaos. Shut out the noise of the day and the worries in your mind in order to do that. It’s like listening to a good song: you can’t hear all the words or the instruments if it’s too loud around you. And we each have our own unique song in our hearts. I learned in the movie “March of the Penguins” that parents find their children by listening carefully to their “song” and left convinced that we are the same: we each have our own song. Bringing our unique song to life by attentive listening to the heart is what life is all about.

“Listen to your heart” is one of my 12 ways to ignite your life daily – ways that, if followed, will stave off depression, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation. Being ignited for your life does that!

Homeopathic medicine is an alternative to western, pharmaceutically inclined medicine. It can often cure disease for conditions that conventional medicine may only offer temporary relief. It can also complement and be integrated with conventional medicine.

Homeopathic remedies are gentle and made from natural substances from the plant, animal and mineral kingdoms. These substances are diluted many times and treated to make them safe, gentle and side effect free. This allows for the potential of deep and lasting healing from serious and chronic disease.

Homeopathy has been practiced around the world for over 200 years. It is based on the principles of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, an 18th century German physician. Hahnemann’s “Law of Similars”, ("Like cures like”) holds that substances that cause healthy people to get symptoms can cure diseases that have these symptoms. Homeopathy is a proven science with a vast documentation detailing thousands of remedies and innumerable cures. New remedies and provings are constantly being developed and refined. Homeopathy is experiencing an exciting renaissance in light of the often devastating side effects of pharmaceuticals.

Classical homeopathy is safe and effective for pregnant women, newborns, children, teenagers, adults and seniors. Animals respond well to homeopathic treatments for illnesses and behavioral issues.

What people say about Homeopathy:

Charles Frederick Menninger, M.D., founder of the Menninger Clinic: Homeopathy is capable of satisfying the therapeutic demands of this age better than any other system or school of medicine.

Mahatma Gandhi: Homeopathy cures a greater percentage of cases than any other method of treatment. Homeopathy is the latest and refined method of treating patients economically and non-violently.

Paul McCartney: I can't manage without homeopathy. In fact, I never go anywhere without homeopathic remedies. I often make use of them.

Lindsay Wagner: If I was not an actress, I would be a homeopathic doctor.

Mark Twain: The introduction of homeopathy forced the old-school doctor to stir around and learn something of a rational nature about his business. You may honestly feel grateful that homeopathy survived the attempts of the allopaths to destroy it.

There are many therapeutic, energetic healing modalities derived from nature. Homeopathy is a profoundly safe and effective complement to any regimen.

For more than 30 years, Taggart Siegel has produced award-winning films on little-known aspects of the natural and cultural world. His diverse documentaries range from the story of a Hmong shaman immigrant adjusting to American life to a Midwest organic farmer that salvaged his family’s farm.

Siegel’s latest film, Seed: The Untold Story, follows global seed keepers from Minnesota to India battling multinational agribusinesses in a quest to protect our agricultural heritage and food sources—ancient seeds passed down through untold generations. Interviews with farmers, ethnobotanists and activists explore the importance of the genetic material that these tiny time capsules carry.

Siegel is the founder and executive director of Collective Eye Films, a nonprofit media company in Portland, Oregon. He co-directed and produced this latest offering with documentary filmmaker Jon Betz, with backing from Academy Award-winning actress Marisa Tomei.

Why does the colossal loss of food-crop diversity during the past century matter?

Up to 96 percent of seed varieties have been lost since 1903. During this period, we have destroyed the infrastructure of traditional agriculture, 10,000 years of seeds saved from families and farmers. It threatens our survival. We can’t rely on genetically modified seeds to see us through climate changes. We need non-genetically engineered seed varieties, like the thousands of different types of rice grown in India, to be able to adapt to extreme events like floods and droughts.

Universal responsibility to save seeds began to dwindle in the 1920s, when hybrid corn crops came onto the market, promising higher yields; instead of growing crops from seeds saved, borrowed or shared with neighbors, farmers bought seeds from stores. In the 1990s, huge corporations bought up some 20,000 seed companies, and the number of cultivated seed varieties dropped precipitously. Ten agrichemical companies now control more than two-thirds of the global seed market.

How do hybrid seeds differ from open-pollinated seeds?

You cannot save a hybrid seed; if you try to use it, the results are unreliable. Hybrids are engineered to be planted for one year only. With open-pollinated and heirloom seeds, you’re planting reliable seeds saved from year to year, generation to generation, bred for the consistency of their qualities. Indigenous people in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley, for example, have successfully cultivated local seeds for at least 8,700 years, right up to today.

Hybrids require high levels of chemical inputs to produce. Illustrating the contrast, Hopi corn, grown for thousands of years, requires little water and contains much more protein than today’s commercial crops, without poisoning the land with heavy industrial inputs. The Hopi think of seeds as their children, intimately connected with their heritage and culture, so they protect them. Beyond big, strong crops, farming is a spiritual act.

Why do so many farmers voluntarily choose hybrid seeds, given the troubling issues involved?

Most farmers just want streamlined labor and the biggest yield. Often, commodity crops using commercial seeds and chemical fertilizers have the biggest yield and make them the most money, even though severe downsides like the loss of flavor and nutrients mean it’s ultimately not the best result.

In India, more than 250,000 farmers have committed suicide during the past 20 years to escape onerous debts accrued to purchase industrialized agricultural inputs. An Indian seed salesman interviewed for the film despairs, “The seeds we sell don’t taste good and require so many chemicals that many farmers kill themselves.”

What is the seed-saver movement achieving, and how can everyday gardeners and citizens take action?

Seed libraries and banks are critically important because the seeds are adapted to the local environment. Seed libraries have multiplied from only a handful a few years ago to as many as 300 located in towns across America today. Public libraries check out seeds to plant in your garden, asking only that you return harvested seeds for others to enjoy. Farmers can now “back up” their seeds in local seed banks, which are also becoming important educational resources to teach students about these issues.

To locate a screening or purchase a DVD of the film, visit SeedTheMovie.com.

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Family dogs frequently accompany us on errands and outings away from their familiar home environment, and we want them to enjoy these expeditions. So understanding their view of the world is important.

To a dog, every experience is either familiar or unfamiliar. The first time they encounter a new sound, place or person, they can feel anxious. We can help with the adjustment by introducing them slowly to each new experience and step aside to provide them distance or space to observe it first at their own pace.

Knowing the “tells” that signal when a dog is comfortable or uncomfortable goes a long way to a harmonious experience. Allison Culver, assistant director of The Lightfoot Way holistic animal learning center, in Houston, remarks, “Knowing how to communicate with your animal can save a lot of heartache.” With a bit of applied attention, we can readily learn to understand the changes in canine body posture and behavior that communicate their emotional state.

Start by observing the dog’s posture when they are relaxed at home. It’s likely that their weight is balanced on all four legs and their mouth is slightly open; movement is relaxed, loose and agile.

When a dog feels happy or playful, notice how their ears may perk up or tilt slightly forward. Their tail might rise and wag, and they may emit a cheerful bark. Using their visual and audio demeanor as a baseline prepares us to be alert for three secret tells that signal a change in their emotion.

Closing their mouth routinely occurs when a dog is unsure or anxious. When their mouth remains closed for a minute or more, it’s a sure clue that they need more time to process information.

Lip licking such as quick flicks of the tongue is meant to appease and may prevent an uncomfortable situation from escalating into anything resembling a confrontation. Dogs do it with each other and with us, too.

A look away that avoids direct eye contact likewise signals that a dog is urgently processing their current environment.

Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas, author of On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, identifies the lip licking and averting of the eyes as self-calming behaviors. She affirms, “When dogs are stressed by the environment, they start using calming signals to ease the stress.”

When this happens, first try creating more space or distance between the dog and any perceived threat; this may return them to their body language norm. If not, consider using holistic calming aids like a properly mixed lavender essential oil spray or Bach Rescue Remedy Pet flower essences, keeping these well away from their face.

Also try mentally engaging the dog with learned cues. A quick game of sit, down, sit plus high-five allows them to engage in a familiar activity while they adjust to a new environment.

If the pet does not respond to normal cues and continues to display multiple stress signals for an extended period, leave the scene altogether. Their anxiety hasn’t been relieved. If it’s still important that the dog learns to enjoy the troubling environment, work with a professional trainer that uses positive reinforcement tools to aid the transition (search PetProfessionalGuild.com or apdt.com). The trainer will assist in creating a plan that allows the pet to adjust at a pace that allows them to remain comfortable.

By observing a dog’s posture, we can be confident in choosing mutually good outings.

Susan Briggs, of Houston, TX, is co-author of Off-Leash Dog Play: A Complete Guide to Safety & Fun, co-founder of The Dog Gurus and owner of Crystal Canine (CrystalCanine.com).

]]>Sat, 06 May 2017 12:53:02 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80633_when_we_set_out__let_spirit_steer_us__mark_nepo.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80633_when_we_set_out__let_spirit_steer_us__mark_nepo.htmlWhen We Set Out

Let Spirit Steer Us

Mark Nepo

Teaching me how to steer the thirty-foot sailboat he built, my father would say, “It’s the sail that follows the wind, and the rudder that follows the sail.” The sail by its nature, will catch the wind and lean into it. The rudder is for steering once we’ve set sail.

Our soul is like a sail. Once hoisted, it’s filled by the wind of Spirit, which establishes our course and direction. Our will is our rudder; its job is to follow where the soul filled with Spirit leads, helping to steer our way. When we lean on will to make things happen, we can grow stubborn, confused or lost. Clear sailing comes when we’re being carried toward a vision greater than our self, feeling wholly alive along the way.

Scudding along the sea, my father lived once for all time, feeling the sensation of all life in that moment. We all yearn to live in these moments forever, yet even a taste of aliveness can fill, sustain and refresh us in the midst of daily tasks.

We all face times beyond our control when life doesn’t follow our designs and we’re asked to work with life and not fight, curse or hide from it. When insisting on our way, we can get so tangled in our will that we can’t find or feel the wind of Spirit. During these times—when we fear there is no meaning and it seems there’s nothing holding us up—our will can puff, snap, and flap about in a desperate attempt to fill what looms as an empty life.

But even setting out on the sea, it’s never easy. My father remarked, “It’s always harder to sail toward a fixed point, because you will inevitably have to cross the wind several times to get there.” By contrast, a boat moves its fastest and cleanest when it simply follows the wind. It’s the same when we listen for where life is taking us, instead of busily thinking about where we’re going. Devoting ourselves to experiencing the journey, rather than determining a destination, we discover our way.

Like a sail, our life must be out in the open before the wind will show its face. Likewise, Spirit fills us when we can inhabit our true nature. We miss what awaits us if we hover too close to the shore of our past, our family, someone else’s dream for us, or an old identity. To feel the wind in our face, we must leave the shallows and harbors for the deep. Only then will the larger, timeless destination show itself and our soul be filled enough with Spirit that our smaller self will have no choice but to engage in steering us toward all that matters.

Adapted excerpt from The One Life We’re Given: Finding the Wisdom that Waits in Your Heart, by Mark Nepo (Atria). Connect at MarkNepo.com and ThreeIntentions.com.

The Heart to Lead: Women as Allies for the Greater Good, a documentary film directed and produced by Cheryl Gould, explores the emerging paradigm of heart-based feminine leadership and how it is attuning women to their inner strengths, beliefs, each another and our Earth. “Women’s deeper unity of being is empowering them to take action and lead. Women used to long for a culture that would reflect their highest priorities; they are now creating one in which they support each other and make a difference,” says Gould.

She notes that for centuries, innumerable women have led and served as change agents. “Unfortunately, the majority of them never made it into the headlines or history books. A prime example—few individuals knew that 12 women ran for president before Hillary Clinton.”

In a recent Yes! magazine article, Rucha Chitnis reports that women are rising up to push back against growing corporate power, land grabs, economic injustice, climate change and more. Women’s groups and networks offer a paradigm shift, she concludes, exposing links between unbridled capitalism, violence, the erosion of human rights and destruction of the Earth.

A woman’s style of leadership in America’s corporate boardrooms, activist-led movements or state and federal government may not be plainly evident. Feminine wisdom’s emerging solutions are compassionate, collaborative and consensus building, and pursue universalistic outcomes and group cooperation. They contrast with conventional competitive strategies and solutions, according to the Legislative Effectiveness of Women study at Vanderbilt University’s Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, in Nashville.

Jean Shinoda Bolen, a medical doctor, Jungian analyst and author of Artemis: The Indomitable Spirit in Everywoman, has been advocating since 2002 for a United Nations Fifth World Conference on Women (5WCW). “Empowered and equal women are the key to peace and sustainability. We need to rise up together and fulfill the Dalai Lama’s words at the Vancouver Peace Summit: ‘It will be up to Western women to bring about peace.’”

Bolen’s 5WCW vision joins millennial women worldwide now entering their era of activism with the feminist movement spearheaded by a boomer generation of women that’s forwarded the equality and empowerment of women this far. To this end, she marched in Washington, D.C., on January 21 in the Million Women’s March that globally attracted 5 million participants. “To make human rights women’s rights, we need a united global women’s movement,” she states.

Sande Hart, chief compassion officer of the nonprofit Compassionate California and president of the women’s global interfaith organization SARAH, participated in the Los Angeles Women’s March with 750,000 others. “There’s a sense that we’ve had enough. We’re not angry. We are morally outraged and seeking peaceful solutions wrapped in compassion and based in justice for all. In nearly 15 years of women’s community building, I’m convinced that healing our communities with resilience and a regenerative spirit is our biological and innate imperative. I see women emerging in unprecedented ways to make this happen,” says Hart.

The Rising Women Rising World organization provides tools and training to help women and men develop feminine wisdom and the qualities of potent compassion, deep listening, intuition and inclusivity. Hazel Henderson, an evolutionary economist, host of the Ethical Markets online TV show and author of The Love Economy, mentors for the group staff. She contends that to shape a future for the good of all, we must bring into balance masculine and the feminine energies and learn to value the long-marginalized qualities of feminine wisdom.

Henderson’s Love Economy paradigm reflects the sharing and caring sector not presently reflected in the nation’s gross domestic product. “Women’s unpaid work—raising children, taking care of households, serving on school boards, volunteering, caring for aging parents, etc.—constitutes 50 percent of all production in the U.S. and 70 percent of that in developing countries. This unvalued economic sector underlies and supports the public and private parts of the entire economy,” advises Henderson, who observes that competition cannot be the sole basis for an economy with any expectation of quality of life on a small planet.

In her film, As She Is, producer and director Megan McFeely captures her own journey to understand the collective potential of the feminine and how to live true to its innate knowing. She queries: “Can you imagine what might happen if women here and around the world rose up together and used our power of longing to heal the Earth?”

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

Create new memories, but also share old stories. “Kids want to hear about how their parents were as children, and it gives them as sense of history,” advises Susan Moon.

Be open to learning new technology to communicate across the generational divide. “While grandparents learn about the world of social media from their grandchildren, they can also encourage them to cut back on checking their cell phones in favor of interpersonal activities,” says Patricia Salem.

When visiting grandkids, especially if they live in different cities, “Always have some ‘grandma magic’ up your sleeve—like games, puzzles or craft projects that can be collaborated on—to maximize precious time together,” suggests Moon.

Invite grandchildren to try out meditation or breathing techniques practiced by their elders. “It can help lessen the stresses they encounter in school and at home,” says Salem.

“Be careful to foster cooperation, rather than competition in any shifting relationship with a child-turned-parent,” advises Carolyn Tucker. Otherwise, it can create chaos, undermine a parent’s confidence and strain relationships.

For more advice on being a great grandparent, visit GrandparentsLink.com.

Being a grandparent can be magical; an opportunity to create both lifelong memories and formative experiences for grandchildren. However, it can also pose challenges that need to be managed mindfully, say experts.

For more than 25 years, Patricia Salem, of Louisville, Kentucky, a licensed and board- certified art therapist, has taught mindfulness practices and art therapy in such diverse settings as hospitals and schools. Aiming to help kids and adults learn to harmoniously ease life’s challenges, her work across generations has led her to seek ways to support entire family systems on their individual and familial journey to more mindful living. Her classes focus on skills like cultivating awareness, communication, self-compassion and self-care. “Teaching mindfulness and stress reduction to children is a start; however, teaching parents and grandparents is important, too. Children need reinforcement at home for practices they are learning in order for them to take hold,” says Salem.

Carolyn Tucker, a psychotherapist in Atlanta, started offering classes on mindful grandparenting six years ago after witnessing a rise in grandparents seeking therapy. “In working with new mothers, I’ve found that a common area of friction is too little or too much support from grandparents. I thought it wise to help prepare them,” says Tucker.

She helps grandparents develop realistic expectations of their role. “It’s easy to revert to what you know—the parenting role—so it’s important to set mindful intentions,” she observes.

Tucker encourages grandparents to make mindful memories during time spent with the grandchildren. “You can find joy by being still and marveling at a grandchild’s beautiful little hands and dimpled knees while registering how the air in room feels to create a vivid mental snapshot of the moment.

“Parents and kids can become too busy, and grandparents can help them slow down. Lie on the grass together and look at cloud shapes or blow a dandelion. To me, that is the romance of grandparenting, and mindfulness allows the romance to blossom,” she adds.

Susan Moon, a Berkeley, California, author and grandmother who has practiced Zen Buddhism for nearly 40 years, sees grandparenting as an opportunity to release expectations; this feat can be difficult for parents caught up in their youngsters’ identities. “It’s easier for grandparents to accept grandkids for who they are, and just be joyful with them. They get to be in the moment with the kids without worrying about the day-to-day details of caregiving that can consume parents.” She explores such ideas in her book This is Getting Old: Zen Thoughts on Aging with Humor and Dignity.

Being past their working years, grandparents are often more accepting and peaceful themselves, which can be aspirational for younger generations, adds Salem. For Moon, it’s vital to be mindful of the image of aging that’s projected; “I try to model that old age isn’t tragic, and show the joy in this stage of life,” she says.

Yet grandparents also should be mindful of any physical limitations and set boundaries with grandkids as needed. “It’s okay to say, ‘I can’t hang on the jungle gym with you,’ and suggest an alternative,” says Moon.

Good relationships with the grandkids begin with maintaining open relationships with their parents, experts say. To do this, consistently engage in compassionate listening. “It can be tempting for grandparents that know what may have worked in raising their own children to react or jump in, but it’s important to avoid giving unsolicited advice,” Salem cautions.

At the same time, grandparents can notice aspects a harried parent may miss and, if handled carefully, can provide important insights. “I was known as the ‘fairy mom’ offering magic, art and imagination. I was grateful my own mother was there, too, because one child needed more structure and stability than I was providing,” says Tucker, a mother of four. “She gave me mindful feedback without making me feel like she was trying to usurp my role.”

Moon suggests practicing “right speech”—messages that are positive, affirming and loving—with everyone. “It’s important to be humble and recognize the huge job of parents and all they juggle. Let them know that you are there to support them in whatever way you can.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

A study from the University of Prague, in the Czech Republic, has found that extracts from the bark of the Hintonia latiflora, a tree grown in Mexico and South America, can help regulate blood glucose levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers administered a capsule containing a dry concentrated extract from the plant to 32 subjects with the condition and monitored their blood glucose levels for six months. The subjects experienced an 11 percent decrease in glycated hemoglobin, an indicator that the body can better regulate blood glucose levels, during the period, as well as a slight reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides. The researchers also found the natural treatment resulted in a 25 percent reduction in fasting blood glucose levels and a 22 percent reduction in post-meal glucose levels. Liver enzymes showed improved levels in the subjects, as well. No adverse side effects were observed.

A study from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island, has linked alcohol consumption with an increased risk of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

Using data from three studies, researchers followed 210,252 adults for an average of 18 years each using food-frequency questionnaires to measure alcohol consumption. Comparing the results to instances of melanoma among the participants, they found that each alcoholic beverage consumed on average per day was associated with a 14 percent increased risk of melanoma. An associated conclusion was that individuals that regularly drank alcohol were 73 percent more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma on the trunk of the body than non-drinkers.

“The clinical and biological significance of these findings remains to be determined, but for motivated individuals, counseling regarding alcohol use may be an appropriate strategy to reduce risks of melanoma, as well as other cancers,” explains Eunyoung Cho, Sc.D., the study’s lead author and an associate professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the university.

Researchers from the Copenhagen University Hospital, in Denmark, discovered that expectant mothers that take omega-3 supplements while pregnant can reduce the risk that their babies will develop asthma.

Analyzing blood samples from 695 Danish women at 24 weeks of gestation and again one week after birth, the study tested the levels of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)—long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, fish oil and DHA-algae supplements—in the women’s blood. The health of the babies was monitored for five years and compared with the blood analysis. The children of the mothers given 2.4 grams of long-chain omega-3 supplements during their third trimester displayed an overall 31 percent reduced risk of developing asthma.

“Asthma and wheezing disorders have more than doubled in Western countries in recent decades,” explains Professor Hans Bisgaard, of the Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood at the hospital. “We now have a preventative measure to help bring those numbers down.”

Telomeres, located at the end of human chromosomes, protect DNA from deterioration. In human beings, multiple studies over the past decade have associated longer telomeres with increased longevity and a slowing of the aging process.

A study from Kookmin University, in Seoul, Korea, collected nutrition data from 1,958 men and women aged between 40 and 69. The information included a baseline food frequency questionnaire assessing the consumption of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 (folate), C and E, as well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc during an 18-month period. Researchers measured the length of the subjects’ telomeres after 10 years in a follow-up examination and compared these results with the nutrition information.

The study found an association between longer telomere length and vitamin C, folate and potassium intake in all participants. These nutrients are available in many fruits and vegetables.

Researchers from Germany’s Goethe University, in Frankfurt, sought to determine the impact that the belief held by some that females are poor soccer players would have on their performance. The study had 36 teenage female soccer players engage in a ball-dribbling drill before and after reading a pertinent article. Half of the subjects read about the perceived incompetence of female soccer players and the other half read a piece about the growing popularity of the sport.

The players that read the negative article needed significantly more time to complete the drill than those that read the positive one, possibly highlighting the impact that negative stereotyping has on women.

Researchers from the United Kingdom’s University of Winchester have found that cycling improves brain function. The study tested the cognitive function of 17 physically active men in their 20s before and after two 30-minute sessions on a stationary bike. The results showed significant cognitive improvements following each session.

Biking to work is also a good way to reduce our carbon footprint, but breathing in exhaust fumes and other pollutants is a concern for street cyclists. Alexander Bigazzi, a transportation expert in the department of civil engineering and school of community and regional planning at the University of British Columbia, has studied the relationship between average-speed bicycle travel and inhalation of potentially harmful air.

Using a U.S. Census-based computer model of 10,000 people, Bigazzi found that the ideal bicycling speed to inhale the minimum amount of pollution is between 7.5 to 12.5 miles per hour (mph), placing the lowest risk for women nearly eight mph and for men at just over eight mph. “The faster you move, the harder you breathe and the more pollution you could potentially inhale, but you are also exposed to traffic for a shorter period of time. This analysis shows where the sweet spot is,” says Bigazzi.

Some of the best plants to keep as summer companions are herbs that enrich life with their flavors, fragrances and beauty. It’s not too late to pot up a few herbs or plant them in the garden if we choose plants that thrive in hot, summer weather.

Reliable Basils

“I place basil as the number one herb in popularity, as well as heat tolerance,” says Cristina Spindler, owner of Peconic River Herb Farm, in Calverton, New York. “Basil actually prefers heat.”

There are many types, and green-leafed culinary varieties are easy to grow through the summer, provided they’re not allowed to dry out. Two particularly heat-hardy types are purple-leafed varieties such as Red Rubin and African Blue, which debuted in 1983.

“Purple basil is shockingly fragrant and beautiful on the plate. Plus, it’s easy to grow in a small space and produces quickly,” says Lisa Kessler, who for several years has co-owned with her husband, Ben, the White Hills Lavender and Herb Farm, in Dearing, Georgia. “The flowering tops are usable as herbs and as beautiful cut flowers, so don’t toss them away.”

“African Blue basil flourishes in summer heat and is an especially beneficial nectar plant for bees and other pollinators,” says Traci Anderson, who has been running Seminole Springs Herb Farm, in Eustis, Florida, in their family for more than 20 years. Vigorous and heavy-flowering, it can grow to over three feet tall, and usually persists as a perennial in Florida, Texas and other mild winter climates.

Mediterranean Flavors

Rosemary is the most adaptable and heat tolerant of Mediterranean herbs; it can be grown as a perennial where soil doesn’t freeze hard in winter.

“My top herb garden choice for the hot, humid conditions in the South is Tuscan Blue rosemary because it is beautiful, easy to grow and is wonderful in all kinds of foods and products,” Kessler says. “It blooms in several seasons and provides bees with off-season food.”

Thyme is a top cooking herb, although too much summer rain can lead to mildew and leaf blight. This rarely happens with Summer savory, which has a punchy flavor that Spindler describes as “a peppery cross between oregano and thyme that’s perfect on all of the classic summer veggies—squash, green beans, tomatoes and corn.”

Kessler recommends oregano as part of our summer planting list. “Let your kids or grandkids have the experience of putting it in the pasta sauce. It’s easy to grow in a small herb garden and will last through the winter in most parts of the South.”

An unrelated tropical plant from Africa with strong oregano flavor, the leaves of variegated Cuban oregano are pretty enough to grow alongside flowers, and the plants thrive in humid heat. Cuban oregano readily grows through hot summers, and the plants produce more leaves each time leaf tips are harvested.

Tempting Tropicals

In Central Florida, Anderson recommends culantro, aka Mexican coriander, as a summer herb different from the better-known cilantro. “Culantro equals the flavor of cilantro, but with no bitter or medicinal aftertaste.” A great long-term performer, it continues producing flavorful new leaves even after the plant starts blooming.

Anderson also suggests growing West Indian lemongrass for its fragrant leaves and thick stalks. A vigorous clump-forming grass, lemongrass can be grown in containers anywhere, or serve as an edible ornamental in landscapes where summers are hot. “Lemongrass enjoys a sunny and moist environment, so it benefits from being near an air conditioner drain or downspout,” she advises.

Growing Tips

Herbs always need watering in hot weather, and pouring from a watering can at the base is far better than bathing the leaves with a hose. Should containers become so dry that they refuse to take up water, place them in a broad dish or pail filled with three inches of water for 30 minutes to rehydrate the roots. Always grow herbs in pots with large drainage holes, so excess water can drain quickly.

Make a habit of pinching off a few herbal leaves, crushing them between the fingers and inhaling their fresh aromas. For maximum benefit, repeat daily.

Author Barbara Pleasant’s new book, Homegrown Pantry: A Gardener’s Guide to Selecting the Best Varieties & Planting the Perfect Amounts for What You Want to Eat Year Round, is now available (Storey Publishing). Connect at BarbaraPleasant.com.

Helium-filled balloons look pretty when released at special events, but they eventually become earthbound trash littering land and water, often traveling great distances before reaching their final resting places; spans of up to 1,300 miles have been recorded. The Ocean Conservancy recently picked up nearly 94,000 balloon remnants in the course of a year’s worth of cleanup operations.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fish, dolphins, whales, seabirds and sea turtles have all been found with latex balloons in their stomachs, blocking their digestive tracts. One study of two stranded sperm whales in California attributed their deaths to huge amounts of consumed ocean debris. Another found that more than half of one species of sea turtle surveyed had trash in their gut; mostly balloons. The problem is so serious that several states and cities have already outlawed mass balloon releases.

Latex balloons are technically biodegradable, but that process can take six months or more, according to the UK National Association of Balloon Artists and Suppliers. Alternatives include laser shows, music performances, bubbles, banners and reusable inflatable characters.

Chicago has created 100 miles of new bike lanes in the last five years and plans to add another 50 miles of upgraded lanes with curbs to protect riders from cars by 2019. Beyond that, a series of floating, solar-powered bike paths along the edge of the Chicago River is on the drawing board; each mile of pathway may cost between $5 million and $10 million.

The architecture firm SecondShore first proposed the idea. “You look at the river, and while it used to be the main commercial artery in the city, it’s not much of one anymore,” says firm cofounder James Chuck. “This fits with the mayor’s general economic strategy for the city—how to make use of latent infrastructure.”

The floating bike paths, named RiverRide, would give pedalers a truly auto-free place to ride for part of their commute and connect with existing bike lanes. The system would fill gaps in the network, creating around a 17-mile stretch of continuous bike paths connecting 28 neighborhoods.

Floating on concrete pontoons, the paths would use solar power for lighting. Solar panels could also heat the surface so the path doesn’t ice in winter. Plans call for the path to intersect with river bridges so bikers can cross to the other side.

California is the fourth state to pass a law making it legal to swap seeds and collect them in non-commercial libraries. That’s good news, because the U.S. Department of Agriculture Federal Seed Act, in place for 80 years, mandates that any activity involving non-commercial distribution of seeds must be labeled, permitted and tested according to industrial regulations that would be both costly and burdensome to the more than the estimated 460 seed libraries operating in 46 states.

Nebraska, Illinois and Minnesota also recently passed laws protecting non-commercial seed activity from regulatory requirements. Free seed libraries, swaps and exchanges increase access to local food and can play a large role in expanding and preserving biodiversity.

Neil Thapar, the food and farm attorney at the Sustainable Economies Law Center, says, “We wanted to create the legal framework for an alternative system that is not reliant on large companies to provide open-pollinated seed varieties. Seed sharing has a direct connection to building local economic resilience.” The center is taking action to try to get laws changed in all 50 states

The French government has expanded the Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises, a highly protected marine reserve in French-controlled, sub-Antarctic waters of the southern Indian Ocean, from about 8,000 to more than 46,000 square miles, including seven areas surrounding the islands of Crozet and Kerguelen. France intends to designate 10 percent of its oceanic territory by 2020, and this action brings the total as of the end of 2016 to 1.3 percent.

These large-scale, fully protected marine reserves may serve as climate refuges for many species. The rich biodiversity of the new addition includes marine mammals, fish, seabirds, orcas, penguins, Antarctic fur seals and the critically endangered Amsterdam albatross.

Source: PewTrusts.org

]]>Sat, 06 May 2017 12:32:06 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80618_cloth_better_than_disposable_for_people_and_the_planet.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80618_cloth_better_than_disposable_for_people_and_the_planet.htmlCloth Better than Disposable for People and the Planet

Disposable diapers are the third most common consumer item in landfills. When even those labeled “eco-friendly” are covered by other debris after being discarded and hidden from sunlight and air, they don’t readily biodegrade.

Producing disposables also makes major demands on water, energy, nonrenewable resources like oil and renewables like wood. Many brands contain harmful ingredients such as polyacrylate, dioxin, phthalates and heavy metals that can be absorbed by a baby’s soft, developing skin and promote rashes.

According to SmallFootprintFamily.com, 90 to 95 percent of American babies annually generate 27.4 billion single-use plastic diapers, or 7.6 billion pounds of garbage. While comparable statistics on adult diapers aren’t available, Euromonitor International forecasts a 48 percent increase in U.S. sales to $2.7 billion in 2020, up from $1.8 billion in 2015. In a decade, sales of diapers for adults could surpass those for babies at Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble, attributed to bladder control issues related to health and age, according to the Urology Care Foundation and Mayo Clinic.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association advise that in all cases, fecal matter and urine should be rinsed and flushed down the toilet instead of put in the trash, so that contaminants don’t enter groundwater and potentially spread disease. Traditional cloth diapers are the way to go for several reasons beyond budget:

Using cloth facilitates earlier potty education by quickly communicating to the baby when they are wet. New cloth diaper systems like Nicki’s Diapers (NickisDiapers.com) can be easily cleaned in regular and high-efficiency washing machines. Some popular brands are listed at DiaperPin.com.

The nonprofit association at RealDiapers.org helps connect local groups of mothers to communicate and share best practices in use, cleaning and potty training, such as learning a baby’s cues for needing to go. It also hosts informative events such as the annual national Great Cloth Diaper Change.

Cloth diapers in good condition can be resold on eBay and sites like DiaperSwappers.com.

“The blessingway ceremony helps a woman prepare mentally, emotionally and spiritually for the work of birthing, opening her to instinctive abilities that will guide her in mothering,” says Donna Miller Watelet, interfaith minister and co-author of Mother Rising: The Blessingway Journey into Motherhood.

Miller Watelet, a facilitator of dozens of blessingway rituals, shares an example of a nourishing gathering: In a comfortable and safe room, a group of friends circles the mother-to-be, signifying their support. They discuss the intention for the blessingway and invite the mom to symbolically let go of any fears blocking a harmonious experience. Once her fears are emptied out, they fill her up with affirmations, appreciations and adornments. Women can gift an object that has meaning to them, such as a bead, flower or scrap of cloth, as a sign of their commitment to her. These gifts will then be fashioned into something lasting, such as a necklace for the mother. The circle may then bind themselves together, each woman wrapping red yarn around her wrist before passing along the skein until everyone is connected. As they discuss this intertwining, they cut the binding yarn and keep the bracelets, a reminder of their caring for the new family.

“Finally, we enjoy a feast together,” Miller Watelet says. “Sharing a meal reminds us to bring the intentions of the blessingway back into everyday life.”

“A woman’s body is exquisitely designed to conceive, nurture and give birth,” says Dr. Carol J. Phillips, an Annapolis, Maryland, prenatal chiropractor, doula and author of Hands of Love: Seven Steps to the Miracle of Birth.

Judith Lothian, Ph.D., associate editor of the Journal of Perinatal Education, professor of nursing at Seton Hall University, in South Orange, New Jersey, and a natural childbirth educator in South Orange, New Jersey, knows the significance of women’s deep intuitive instinct. “Women who feel supported and encouraged can tap into their own wisdom and find deep satisfaction in giving birth naturally. The process itself perfectly prepares mother and baby to continue on their journey together.”

Several gentle strategies help mothers-to-be prepare for the joys of natural pregnancy and childbirth.

Build a Baby-Friendly Body

Discover Intuitive Nutrition

“Follow your urges,” counsels Peggy O’Mara, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, former editor of Mothering Magazine and author of Having a Baby, Naturally. “Eat when you’re hungry. Sleep when you’re weary. Go to the bathroom the moment nature calls. Practice this in pregnancy so you’ll be in the habit of listening to your instincts when you give birth.” This simple advice counters women’s common habit of attending to other people’s needs instead of their own.

Along with eating organic, whole foods, Kristy Wilson, of Las Vegas, a certified professional midwife, labor doula and placenta preparation specialist, recommends both a plant-based food supplement with iron and whole-food prenatal supplement. Vitamin C is important for a strong amniotic sack; she suggests at least 500 milligrams daily. A high-strung mom can take magnesium chloride baths or sip a soothing cup of red raspberry leaf tea.

“Women that are concerned about their diet can tune into the baby and ask what they need,” says Lori Bregman, of Santa Monica, California, a doula, birth coach and author of The Mindful Mom-to-Be. If craving a certain dish, she can research its benefits and healing qualities. The yearning for comfort foods like pizza, macaroni or ice cream may signal the need for more nurturing. Eyeing popcorn or chips could be a sign she’s stuffing down an emotion. She can ask herself, “What am I suppressing?”

“Eat a lot of protein, including vitamin B-rich foods, during both pregnancy and breastfeeding,” advises O’Mara.

“Nursing moms need to eat nutrient-dense foods frequently, along with adequate fluids,” says Wilson. She recommends foods that assist lactation called galatactagogues, like almonds, avocados, legumes, kale and spinach. To increase milk production, add fennel to meals or smoothies, or turn to capsules.

Keep Moving with Intention

Wilson recommends yoga, swimming, walking or light jogging three to five times a week, for 20 minutes a day. “Squatting like a child on your haunches is a great exercise for childbirth,” she says, noting that 20 squats daily will strengthen core muscles. Sitting on an exercise ball instead of a desk chair or couch also engages core muscles while improving posture.

“Regular exercise brings more energy, better sleep, reduced stress, higher spirits, better odds of an easy labor, faster post-delivery recovery and reduced risk of gestation diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy,” Bregman finds. She recommends a prenatal yoga practice that includes breathing and visualizations. This restorative form of yoga offers gentle stretching, promotes good circulation and naturally supports relief or healing of many pregnancy ailments.

“To alleviate physical distress, try chiropractic prenatal care,” says Phillips, who authored Hands of Love: Seven Steps to the Miracle of Birth. Light finger contact from an experienced practitioner helps realign bony segments and restores the body’s normal tone. “A prenatal expert can adjust so the mom’s body maintains its balance and the baby is free to move.” Craniosacral therapy reestablishes balance to the membranes that encapsulate the brain and spinal cord.

Prepare the Mind

“Just say, ‘No thanks,’ to friends who want to burden you with stories of their long, excruciating labors,” O’Mara advises. “Protect yourself from toxic people and their horror stories. Focus on maintaining your own good health and surround yourself with people that have experienced a normal birth. Plan to have uplifting support during the birthing process and in the postpartum period.”

A woman easily influenced by others might ask her doula, midwife or spouse to be her advocate. A woman that needs to exercise control might seek such assistance for peace of mind, knowing that her wishes will be followed.

“‘Pain’ is a fear-based word,” to be avoided in conversations about labor, Wilson explains. “Don’t fear the strength of contractions. They are doing exactly what your body needs to do to give birth.” As a midwife, she helps moms relax and embrace these intensely important sensations by focusing on what is going on in their body. Research published in the journal Cell Adhesion & Migration shows that the hormones released during labor enter into the baby’s immune system to also strengthen the child.

Spark the Spirit

Affirmations can positively state the mother-to-be’s intentions for pregnancy and birth. Examples include: Birth is a safe and wonderful experience. I am choosing the right path for my birth. I trust my body and my instincts. I have all the support I need. Wilson recommends choosing two to four that resonate, repeating them every morning while gazing into the mirror, placing them on the refrigerator door and even having them pop up on a smartphone.

“Meditation prepares you for childbirth and can also be soothing during labor by offering tools that push away fear,” says O‘Mara. She likes this mantra from Thich Nhat Hahn’s book, Being Peace: “Breathing in I calm myself, breathing out I smile.”

To begin, sit comfortably in a quiet room with eyes closed. For women new to meditation, Wilson suggests lighting a scented or colored candle and noticing the colors and movement of the flame for something physical to focus on. “This calming practice is important because labor becomes like a meditation,” she says. The mother copes through the contraction, then uses her meditation skills to reset, refocus and ground herself before the next contraction.

Wilson and Bregman both encourage expectant mothers to keep a journal during pregnancy. “Record thoughts and experiences. Sometimes dreams tell things about the child, who has a story too,” advises Wilson.

Design a Special Experience

Create a Birth Plan

Those that prefer a home birth can find a compatible midwife through a natural birthing community such as the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives, International Childbirth Education Association and La Leche League. For a hospital experience, look for low-Caesarean rates, a personally compatible doctor and a distinct birthing center. Either way, a doula or midwife can help craft the desired birth plan.

Upon selecting a venue, the expectant mother may imagine the ideal birth environment and write positive statements, such as, “I want to move around freely. I want my husband and sister with me at all times.”

“If a home birth is a mother’s first choice, design two plans; one for home and one for the hospital,” suggests Phillips. “If the mother needs hospital care during labor, the attendants will know her wishes.”

Wilson encourages the spouse to be involved from the beginning. “The partner’s energy plays a role in how the birth progresses during labor. Plus, being part of the planning keeps him engaged and attuned to her wishes.”

Orchestrate a Childbirth Team

“The birthing mother needs continuous support from someone that can focus on her and her needs,” says Phillips. “The partner also needs to have access to experienced support. Both need to surround themselves with people that know how to enfold them in love.”’

A birthing team includes the medically trained attendant appointed to help deliver the baby; either a midwife or a doctor. Many women choose to have a trained doula collaborate, as well. She provides continuity of care and advocacy, lessens the need for medical intervention, stays with the mother, honors and includes the partner and supports the parents in making informed decisions.

With home births, family members tend to invite themselves over. The mom needs to have control of her birthing atmosphere. “I encourage moms to be firm regarding who they want in the room when the baby is born,” Wilson says.

Honor the Postpartum Mother

“Giving birth is the first big unknown of parenting,” says Wilson. “You plan for it and then you have to trust and accept the outcome.” She encourages postpartum appointments for discussing the birth.

“A breastfeeding mother’s nutrient requirements are actually higher postpartum,” Wilson says. To prevent deficiencies, Wilson suggests moms nourish themselves during this period, delaying any focus on weight loss and regaining muscle tone. The birth team and other friends can deliver meals, do light housecleaning, run a load of laundry and bring groceries. The new parents will welcome this generous and loving help.

Deborah Shouse is a mother, writer, speaker, editor and health advocate in Kansas City, MO. Her latest book, Connecting in the Land of Dementia: Creative Activities to Explore Together, focuses on life’s meaningful moments (DementiaJourney.org).

[optional pull quotes]

The connections established between mother and child are much stronger when she progresses through pregnancy and birth from a natural perspective.

~ Kristy Wilson

“This is a new experience; be gentle with yourself.”

~ Peggy O’Mara

We birth best where we feel safe. Evidence shows that birth can be safe in just about any setting.

“I began my personal training in the Non-Violent System (NVS) of self-defense with Grandmaster Verkerke in 1996,” says Eddie Rose, senior instructor of NVS Peace in the Midst of Non-Violence at Shangri-La Springs, in Bonita Springs, Florida. This aspect of the martial art form seicho jutsu was created by Canadian Daniel Verkerke, Ph.D., as a simple self-defense system to teach and perpetuate nonviolence; he continues to share it with the public, law enforcement, corporations and private security firms in the U.S. and internationally.

Nonviolent self-defense is akin to the dynamics of bullfighting. “The matador never matches his strength with the enormous animal; rather, he redirects the energy of the bull with simple and precise movements—counterbalancing—and letting the bull’s energy move past him,” explains Rose. He’s trained everyday people of all ages and walks of life in this approach, in the U.S., UK, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.

“As they train, students begin to feel more secure wherever they go, because they are learning how to be safe even in the midst of physical confrontation,” says Rose. “They wind up feeling more empowered as they learn how to neutralize aggression simply and effectively.”

“Mental and spiritual training includes the awareness and development of a state of being conscious of energy and mind. Everyone’s actions and reactions directly reflect the development of their mind,” says Rose.

Another nonviolent form of self-defense is Shaolin five animal kung fu, a martial arts style that mimics the characteristics of five animals—the tiger, leopard, snake, crane and dragon. Instructor Lloyd Fridenburg owns Fitness with a Purpose, in Kitchener, Ontario, where he emphasizes the awareness and avoidance concept as the psychological heart of nonviolent self-defense.

Fridenburg, founder and senior instructor of the Waterloo Kung Fu Academy, explains, “The concept emphasizes being constantly aware of your surroundings while avoiding obvious areas of potential danger.” He also stresses the importance of proper body language—being able to read that of others, as well as how to diffuse confrontation upfront in how we present ourself.

“Martial arts are a two-sided coin,” he says. “There’s the martial aspect, which involves techniques that allow a person to defend him- or herself in a wide range of situations. Then there’s the art aspect, which encompasses a deeper study, encompassing forms of movement and mental, philosophical and meditative techniques.”

“Overall health benefits are no different than one might expect of any disciplined fitness regimen,” notes Fridenburg. “However, the nature of a quality martial arts program forces practitioners to focus their entire attention on what they are doing. The mere act of staying grounded in the present moment dramatically reduces stress, and sets martial arts practices apart from many other forms of movement.”

Tai chi, an ancient, softer style Chinese martial art, leverages relaxation, posture and energy work, rather than muscular tension. As a Taoist art, it embodies the way nature works, using minimal effort to accomplish a lot.

“Demonstrating tai chi as a form of nonviolent self-defense is much easier than describing it,” says Aaron D. Nitzkin, Ph.D., of New Orleans, a Tulane University professor, tai chi master and certified medical qigong instructor. “If someone attacks, you don’t resist; you can use tai chi principles to yield to their movements with a natural circular, continuous motion, turning their own force against them. When you move aggressively against a master, it feels like you’ve just bounced off them and fallen down. In order to win at tai chi fighting, you need to remain completely calm and centered and most of all, listen to your opponent’s energy with your hands, so that you can yield to it and then redirect it.” It’s a profound lesson in interpersonal communication.

“My students report stronger immune systems, greater clarity of mind, better sleep, less anxiety and depression, and greater emotional stability,” says Nitzkin. “Practitioners become much more sensitive to and conscious of the internal condition of their bodies, and even develop the ability to feel bioelectric fields.”

Whichever form of nonviolent self-defense suits us, experts advise that students study with a certified and experienced instructor for optimum results and safe practice.

Aimee Hughes, a freelance writer in Kansas City, MO, is a doctor of naturopathy and senior staff writer for LongevityTimes online. Connect@ Aimee@LongevityTimes.com.

When dietary concerns, food sensitivities or curiosity prompt us to try alternative milks, it helps to know basic facts about the leading types to choose the best ones for us.

Almond Milk

Pro: Almond milk is low in fat and can be easily made at home, so ingredients are known. One cup of homemade almond milk has about 40 calories, one gram of protein, 6 percent of the DV of calcium, three grams of fat and eight grams of carbohydrates. As for store bought options, one cup of Silk Organic Almond Original contains 60 calories, with one gram of protein, 10 percent of the DV for calcium, two-and-a-half grams of fat and eight grams of carbohydrates.

Con: Almond milk is neither high in protein nor calcium; it’s not as nutritionally packed as other alternatives. Some might not care for the faint nutty flavor.

Con: High in fat and calories, coconut milk may not be the best choice for drinking every day, but is delicious in Asian-style soups and curries.

Hemp Milk

Pro: Hemp milk, made from hulled hemp seeds, contains 10 essential amino acids, including key fats. “Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are vital for healthy functioning of the brain,” says Axe. Hemp milk works well for people with tree nut allergies.

One cup of Pacific Hemp Original has 140 calories, three grams of protein, 50 percent DV for calcium, five grams of fat and 20 grams of carbohydrates. Living Harvest Tempt Hemp Milk has 80 calories per cup, two grams of protein, 30 percent DV for calcium, eight grams of fat and one gram of carbohydrates.

Con: Grassy-tasting hemp milk tends to separate in hot coffee.

Rice Milk

Pro: High in vitamins and calcium when fortified, rice milk made from brown rice is also high in vitamins. According to Ted Kallmyer, author of Flexible Dieting in Bend, Oregon, rice milk is the least likely alternative milk to trigger an allergy.

One cup of Pacific Rice Milk has 130 calories, one gram of protein, 30 percent DV of calcium, two grams of fat and 37 grams of carbohydrates. One cup of Rice Dream Organic Rice Drink has 120 calories, one gram of protein, 30 percent DV of calcium, 2.5 grams of fat and 23 grams of carbohydrates.

Con: Low in fat and protein, it’s also relatively high in carbohydrates. It has a less creamy texture than hemp, coconut or soy milks.

Different brands have different nutritional components. For example, one cup of Organic Valley Soy Original has 100 calories per cup, with seven grams of protein, 30 percent of the daily value (DV) for calcium, three grams of fat and 11 grams of carbohydrates. One cup of Organic EdenSoy Extra Original Soymilk contains 130 calories, with 11 grams of protein, 20 percent of the DV for calcium, four grams of fat and 13 grams of carbohydrates.

Con: Some people might not like the thick texture and soy aftertaste. Dr. Frank Lipman, founder and director of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center, in New York City, says that limiting soy is a good idea due to soy’s prevalent pesticide saturation and its researched links to thyroid, endocrine system and sex hormone dysfunction (Tinyurl.com/SoyDarksideStudies) If soy is eaten, “Choose certified organic, soy products—preferably fermented versions like miso, natto and tempeh—with the Non-GMO Project seal; and do so sparingly, no more than twice a week,” advises Lipman.

Barefoot running has become a popular activity for athletes, and with the right training, can be a helpful tool for many runners. A recent study from the University of Jaén, in Spain, confirms the benefits of barefoot running. Researchers set out to determine what types of changes a 12-week program of barefoot running would produce in foot strike patterns, inversion, eversion and foot rotation.

Thirty-nine recreational athletes with no experience in barefoot running participated. Twenty formed the experimental group, with 19 serving as a control group. Researchers determined each runner’s low, high and comfortable running speed and conducted pre- and post-running tests using cameras to document foot strike patterns. The experimental group’s training consisted of a progressive increase in the volume and frequency of barefoot running, while those in the control group performed the same progressive running program with their shoes on.

The experimental group showed significant changes in foot strike pattern, with a tendency toward a mid-foot strike at all speeds. They also displayed changes to foot rotation and inversion toward a more centered strike at the lower speed, supporting the notion that progressive barefoot training can help athletes trying to change their foot pattern to a mid- or front-foot strike.

]]>Wed, 03 May 2017 15:51:12 -0700http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80546_ecofriendly_home_building__innovations_boost_energy_efficiency__by_john_d_ivanko_and_liam_kivirist.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_80546_ecofriendly_home_building__innovations_boost_energy_efficiency__by_john_d_ivanko_and_liam_kivirist.htmlEco-Friendly Home Building

Innovations Boost Energy Efficiency

by John D. Ivanko and Liam Kivirist

Smart, innovative, technological breakthroughs are making buildings more energy-efficient, healthier to live in and highly attuned to our connected world.

“Homeowners continue to be interested in green building options because they help foster a healthier, more comfortable and affordable home—and it’s good for the environment,” says Dan Chiras, Ph.D., of Gerald, Missouri, founding director of the Evergreen Institute and author of The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy.

Panel Insulation

“Structural insulated panels in walls, roofs and floors dramatically reduce air leakage and heat loss through thermal bridging, or heat conduction through framing materials, facilitating a more energy-efficient home that can maintain comfortable temperatures with lower fuel bills than a conventionally built home,” advises Chiras. Find manufacturers via the Structural Insulated Panel Association at sips.org.

“Many solar energy users want to monitor their system using their computer, tablet or smartphone through advances in energy software,” says Allison Lindquist, with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), which hosts the Annual Energy Fair and sustainable living event every June in Custer, Wisconsin. “One highlight last year was PacketFlux Technologies’ SiteMonitor.”

“When a homeowner views their energy monitoring data, they quickly begin seeing the correlation between their energy consumption and production,” adds Leon Dulak, the MREA site manager. “The direct correlation drives them to change how they live and use energy.”

Energy Storage

Tesla Motors does more than produce high-end electric cars and solar shingles. The company is also on the cutting edge of future energy storage. Tesla’s new, compact Powerwall 2 battery system, complete with inverter, can power an average two-bedroom home for 24 hours.

Chiras says, “Utilities throughout the nation are cracking down with special fees on solar-home owners that occasionally pull electricity from the grid. I think more people are going to opt to go off-grid or install a Tesla battery to provide nighttime power to preempt this. It’s easier to maintain than a standard lead-acid battery, and should last as long. When its useful life is over, the homeowner returns it to the company.”

“Saltwater-based batteries for homeowners are coming up,” observes Clay Sterling, assistant professor of electrical technology at Kankakee Community College, in Kankakee, Illinois. “The batteries from Aquion Energy are non-toxic, safe and recyclable.” Their Aspen series of aqueous hybrid ion batteries contain neither heavy metals nor toxic chemicals and are non-flammable and non-explosive, adding to their safety.

Home Plans

Building green gets easier with green home plans. The protoype, super-insulated, 970-square-foot NewenHouse sustainable home in Viroqua, Wisconsin, is about 50 percent smaller and more than 80 percent more energy efficient than the average American home. The plans-and-services package for the Passive House-certified NewenHouse home features double walls for insulation and a super-efficient heat recovery ventilator. Four different home plans are available for houses under 1,000-square feet.

John D. Ivanko is co-author of ECOpreneuring. Liam Kivirist captures the latest technology news on TechSocket.net.

Many grocery store foods are wrapped in plastic packaging that creates non-recyclable, non-biodegradable waste, even though thin, plastic films are not efficient at preventing spoilage. Some plastics are also suspected of leaching harmful compounds into food. Researcher Peggy Tomasula, D.Sc., is leading a U.S. Department of Agriculture team developing an environmentally friendly film made of the milk protein casein that addresses these issues. She states, “The protein-based films are powerful oxygen blockers that help prevent food spoilage. When used in packaging, they could prevent food waste during distribution along the food chain.”

Plastic six-pack rings are renowned for their negative impact on wildlife and the environment. Now the Saltwater Brewery, in Delray Beach, Florida, is making edible six-pack rings for beer cans that are 100 percent biodegradable. Constructed of barley and wheat ribbons from the brewing process, they can be safely eaten by animals that come into contact with the refuse. Company President Chris Gove notes, “We hope to influence the big guys and inspire them to get on board.”

The Pacific island nation of Kiribati has established one of the world’s second-largest (1.3 million-square-mile) shark sanctuaries, which bans commercial fishing throughout, and also expands the Micronesia Regional Shark Sanctuary. The possession, trade and sale of sharks and shark products are also prohibited in these areas as is the use of fishing gear for targeting sharks such as wire leaders.

Worldwide, about 100 million sharks are killed each year in commercial fisheries. Nearly 30 percent of all known shark species assessed by scientists are now threatened with extinction. Sharks are particularly vulnerable to overfishing because they mature and reproduce slowly. Many Pacific island nations have established shark sanctuaries, recognizing the valuable ecosystem and economic roles that healthy populations provide.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora recently added 13 shark and Mobula ray species to its list, a step toward ensuring sustainable and legal trade of these species

In a towering forest of centuries-old eastern hemlocks, the tiny hemlock woolly adelgid spends its life sucking sap and eventually killing the tree. The bug is one example of an expanding horde of insects draining the life out of forests from New England to the West Coast. Aided by global trade, a warming climate and drought-weakened terrain, this invasion represents one of the greatest threats to biodiversity in the U.S. Scientists say they are already driving some tree species toward extinction and causing billions of dollars a year in damage, with the situation expected to worsen.

Today’s connected world enables foreign invaders to cross oceans in packing materials or on garden plants, and then reach American forests to rapidly expand their ranges. According to a new study in Ecological Applications, scientists say several species of hemlock and 20 species of ash could nearly go extinct in coming decades. Such destruction would eliminate a critical sponge to capture greenhouse gas emissions, shelter birds and insects and supply food for bears and other animals. Dead forests also increase the danger of wildfires.

Kiara Nirghin, a South African teenage girl and recent winner of the Google Science Fair’s Community Impact Award for the Middle East and Africa, is pioneering a new technology to fight drought. The Holy Web, her super-absorbent polymer, can store reserves of water hundreds of times its own weight.

Drought remains one of South Africa’s main challenges, with at least eight provinces requiring regular food relief. The project is designed to help farmers in dry areas build large water reservoirs for adequate and regular supply of water for irrigation. “I wanted to minimize the effect that drought has on the community, and the main thing it affects is the crops. That was the springboard for the idea,” says Nirghin. Her invention uses recycled and biodegradable waste products such as avocado skins and orange peels to make the polymer sustainable, affordable and environmentally friendly.

In 2015, Adidas partnered with Parley for the Oceans to produce 50 pairs of shoes made from illegal fishing nets and other discarded plastic waste taken from the sea to prove the concept. Because demand for the environmentally responsible running shoes has been so high, the company plans to make 1 million pairs by 2017.

All debris will be obtained from a string of 1,000 coral islands off India’s western coast. Each shoe features a knitted upper composed of 95 percent patented Parley Ocean Plastic. The remaining 5 percent is made from recycled polyester. Even the laces, cap base, heel webbing, heel lining and sock-liner cover are made out of recycled materials.

Ocean plastic is wreaking havoc on the environment; EcoWatch.com reports that every year, enough plastic is discarded to circle the globe four times. Most ends up in the oceans, where the rubbish swirls around in great convergences, breaks down into smaller particles and poisons wild animals.

When air pollution blanketed Paris for three days, authorities called it the worst bout in 10 years and made public transit free. For the fourth time in 20 years, the city instituted a system based on alternating odd or even license plate numbers to keep certain vehicles off city streets, effectively cutting daily traffic in half; it’s the first time the ban’s been maintained for consecutive days. “Cars are poisoning the air,” says Paris city hall transport official Herve Levife. “We need to take preventive measures.”

Three other cities—Athens, Madrid and Mexico City—will ban diesel engines by 2025 as part of a similar effort. Beijing, China’s capital city, has such dirty skies from cars and coal that protective masks are commonplace despite emissions restrictions and power plant closures, partly due to pollutants from neighboring regions.

Paris leads the world in monthly car-free days, but several large metro cities participate in am international car-free day each September 22, including Washington, D.C., Seattle and Long Island, New York.

According to data service Mercaris, the U.S. had a record 4.1 million acres of organic farmland in 2016, an 11 percent increase over 2014. As of June 2016, the number of certified organic farms reached 14,979, including 1,000 startups.

The top states in organic cropland after California, with 688,000 acres, are Montana, Wisconsin, New York and North Dakota. Montana hosted a 30 percent increase to 417,000 acres in 2016, adding 100,000 acres since 2014 and 50 new organic farms.

In assessing the positive trend, Scott Shander, a Mercaris economist, says, “With today’s lower commodity grain prices, farmers are looking to add value and meet consumer demands. The global market is dictating U.S. prices. Demand for organic corn and soybeans are still growing strongly, but production is not growing as fast, so more of the production will be international.”

We watch the graceful flight of colorful butterflies and appreciate their crucial role as pollinators. Establishing butterfly gardens or accommodating them in yard plantings increases food sources radically threatened by reductions in blossom-rich landscapes due to development, intensive agriculture, insecticides and climate change.

The National Wildlife Federation (nwf.org) reports that butterflies are particularly attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms that are flat-topped or clustered for landing or hovering, with short flower tubes that present easy access to nectar.

Regional planting. In the Southeast, goldenrod, with its arching, yellow flowers, appeals to Buckeye species. Tiger Wing, Dainty Sulphur and Malachite lead the way in Florida.

Some other suitable plants and trees for attracting butterflies, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center (Wildflower.org) are yarrows, red and white baneberries, and red, scarlet and soft maples in the Northeast; Butterfly and Honey daisies, Indian Mallow, American Century and Husiache in the Midwest; and Giant, Ground, Subalpine and Noble firs, Vine Maple and Columbian Monkshoods in the Northwest.

Inspiring individual efforts.Care2.com reports that California Academy of Sciences aquatic biologist Tim Wong cultivated California Pipevine plants in his backyard butterfly home four years ago upon learning that it is the primary food for California Pipevine Swallowtails in the San Francisco area. Starting with 20 caterpillars, he donated thousands of the swallowtails to the San Francisco Botanical Gardens last year and has grown more than 200 plants.

Milkweed. Populations of iconic Monarch butterflies have plummeted 90 percent in the past 20 years, reports the National Wildlife Federation, primarily due to decline of 12 native milkweed species. They need support for their annual 2,000-plus-mile migration from the U.S. Northeast and Canada to central Mexico and back. Joyce Samsel, curator of the Florida Native Butterfly Society (FloridaNativeButterflies.org), notes that the Florida Monarch stays south of Tampa year-round.

Donate to help. Adopt milkweed habitat land through an Environment Defense Fund (edf.org) program by donating $35 for one acre up to $350 for 10 acres. Their goal is to retain and protect 2 million acres.

“I’ve run in cities, rural areas and suburbs. I’ve run while deployed to military bases in the Middle East, in cities on four continents, in blazing heat and winter snowstorms,” says Maria Cicio, a licensed professional counselor candidate and marathoner in Grove, Oklahoma. “I’ve been running regularly for 25 years, mostly injury-free, and have found what works best for me.”

For beginners, Cicio recommends starting with a 5K race. “There are a hundred reasons why a full marathon would not be fun for a beginner, but trail running, charity races and 5K road races are perfect,” she says.

Cicio attests the physical health benefits come from the training and preparation more than from the race itself. “You can run for many years before deciding to run an official race, in which case you’ll probably have already experienced increased cardiovascular health, improved muscle tone and strength.

“Running your first race can focus your running and turn it into training. You might increase your daily or weekly mileage, depending on the planned length of the race, or add some speed work to your regular running routine. When I’m training for a race, I’m more in tune with what my body needs; I also sleep better,” she says.

“The mental benefits are what keep many of us running, even after the physical ones seem to plateau,” advises Cicio. “Running means regular exercise, so it can improve our general mood. While numerous studies show this to be true, the best evidence comes from runners themselves.”

Almost everyone has heard of a runner’s high, even if we haven’t experienced it ourselves. It’s long been accepted that endorphins released during exercise create a feeling of euphoria after a satisfying workout. Recent research on mice by the Central Institute of Mental Health at the University of Heidelberg Medical School, in Germany, suggests that it might be natural endocannabinoids that lighten our mood and contribute to the high.

Meditation master Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, in Halifax, Canada, teaches an online course, The Art of Mindful Running. He points out that running, or doing any physical activity, with a meditative state can deepen, train and enhance the mind. “Within 20 to 30 minutes, you have an opportunity to work with your mind. Instead of just spacing out or trying to get exercise, you can actually say, ‘I am going to be present, I am going to relate to my breathing and my movement a little bit.,’” says Mipham. “This is healthy both for the mind and the body.”

Those looking for an alternative to running on concrete and asphalt find that trail running ups the fun factor while nature nurtures us. “While I’d always loved running races, the roads rarely changed. Even the same trail tends to change daily, with a new puddle or a log to jump or crawl over, or a new offshoot. The natural running landscape is full of surprises,” says Nikki Partridge, an avid trail runner, American College of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer and Stott Pilates instructor in Auburn, California.

“Trail running healed me,” says Partridge. “I always had some injury from running; tendonitis, sprained ankles, runner’s knee, pulled hamstrings, illiotibial band syndrome, shin splints or plantar fasciitis. I became a walking encyclopedia on injury and recovery. But the trails saved me. I no longer pronated when I ran, I had no more tendonitis from running on canting sidewalks—even my knee pain disappeared—my balance improved and my body was happy.”

When winding down after a race, carve out ample time for recovery and reflection. “I always ask myself what I liked about how it was organized, course conditions, support staff and the after-party, and then look for another race that fits my preferences,” says Cicio. “Consider taking a vacation around a particular race that interests you or find a local road race the next time you travel. For a modest fee, you get to run a race and typically luck into a T-shirt, food and party camaraderie.”

The running world can open our eyes to new places, good people and greater self-awareness, along with physical fitness. Spring is a good time to lace up our shoes and begin the expansive journey.

Aimee Hughes, a freelance writer in Kansas City, MO, is a doctor of naturopathy and senior staff writer for LongevityTimes online.. Connect@ Aimee@LongevityTimes.com

Cole has learned a lot about the natural lives of chickens. They need 14 hours of sunlight to produce eggs and lay about one per day. Chickens must be protected from predators, locked up at night in their coop for optimal well-being and let out in the morning to roam. Here are some tips for buying the freshest, most delicious and humanely raised chicken eggs.

How to Read an Egg Carton

Deciphering the language on an egg carton is a first step. Diet affects flavor. “Eggs from pasture-raised chickens allowed to roam—eating grass, worms and bugs in the backyard or a pasture will look and taste better than eggs from chickens limited to an inside space eating chicken feed,” says Cole. “Pasture-raised eggs will have a fresh herbaceous, or grassy, flavor with an ‘egg-ier’ essence.”

“USDA Organic” is a U.S. Department of Agriculture label confirming that the food the chicken ate was certified organic. “Non-GMO” indicates a diet free of genetically modified ingredients. “Free-range”, another USDA label, means the chicken had continuing access to the outdoors. “Pasture-raised” assures that the chicken roamed outdoors daily, eating what they wanted; the ideal scenario.

“Cage-free” is a USDA-regulated designation ensuring that the chickens were allowed to roam freely about within their building to get food and water. “Natural” has no real meaning says Douglass; the term invokes no USDA regulation and nothing about actual farming practices. “Certified Humane” or “Animal Welfare Approved” means that each free-range hen has at least two square feet of outdoor space; it’s the most desirable designation, says Douglass.

When farmers want to raise egg-laying chickens, they need to provide physical conditions similar to those Cole affords, but on a larger and more efficient scale, usually without the love. In regions where 14 hours of daylight are not a given, farmers use artificial lighting. When snow is too deep for the birds to venture out and it’s too cold for bug life, farmers supply indoor coops and feed. How well and humanely they do this is up to consumers to find out.

Egg Nutrition

Eating one egg a day, or moderate consumption, will not raise cholesterol levels in healthy adults, concludes a 2012 review in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. While egg yolks contain cholesterol, they also possess nutrients that help lower the risk for heart disease, including protein, vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin and folate, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. A study by Kansas State University researchers published in the 2001 Journal of Nutrition also found that phosphatidylcholine, another substance in eggs, can decrease the amount of cholesterol the body absorbs from them.

Plus, eggs are great sources of micronutrients and antioxidants, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered and licensed dietitian and wellness manager for Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute, in Ohio. “I’ve always been a huge proponent for eggs. As lean sources of protein, they help us stay full, are easy to prepare and can be part of a healthy eating regime because they’re packed with free-radical- and inflammation-fighting antioxidants.” Kirkpatrick adds, “Eggs also help protect eyes. Their nutrient-rich yolks, like leafy green vegetables, are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids studies have repeatedly shown help protect against macular degeneration.”

Ideally, all chickens would be treated like Cole’s “girls.” For now, the best most of us can do is choose “Pasture-Raised,” “Organic” and “Certified Humane”. Getting to know more about the farmers that produce our eggs is even better.

Sharon Puszko, Ph.D., founder of Daybreak Geriatric Massage Institute, in Indianapolis, teaches and certifies massage therapists working in assisted living, long-term care and memory care facilities. She relates, “These individuals appreciate not only the physiological benefits of massage but also having a therapist touch and address them by name. A 105-year-old woman jokes, ‘Now that they’ve figured how to keep us alive for so long, they don’t know what to do with us. Thank God for massage therapy.’”

Specialty certificate programs such as Puszko’s, representing advanced education and training within a modality qualified as therapeutic massage and bodywork, are benefitting both massage therapists and clients. Some outcome-based specialty modalities considered as requirements for specific populations such as seniors, athletes, infants and cancer patients and survivors, are referred to as “medical massage”.

The nonprofit National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork provides an accredited, voluntary certification beyond entry-level state licensure. To maintain their status, therapists must complete 24 hours of continuing education and 100 hours of work experience, and pass a criminal background check every two years. The certifying board also approves continuing education providers that teach specialty techniques, including integrative health care, sports massage and military veteran massage. The result is therapies administered according to a national standard of excellence requisite for therapists working in collaboration with doctors, chiropractors, wellness centers, retirement care communities and other medical settings.

Puszko, an approved provider who founded her service in 2000, offers beginning and advanced weekend workshops for therapists on the complexities of physiological changes and technical skills required to work with geriatric or senior clients. She works from three offices in upscale retirement communities and teaches approved continuing education curricula throughout the U.S. and internationally.

“Although the skills I teach are not taught in massage school, they are in demand at independent and assisted living facilities where massage is considered a vital aspect of health care,” says Puszko. “Older Americans represent the greatest challenge to massage therapists. For elderly residents, stretching and pulling on delicate skin and joints, as well as pushing one’s elbow into gluteus maximus muscles, are unacceptable approaches.” She explains that they might be called upon for a range of needs from helping prepare a 70-year-old marathoner for a race to reducing the stress of an exhausted hospice patient.

Geri Ruane is one of four founding directors of Oncology Massage Alliance, in Austin, Texas. She manages operations for the nonprofit that was created in 2011 to help therapists that volunteer to administer complimentary hand and foot massage therapy to cancer patients and caregivers in chemotherapy infusion rooms and prior to radiation treatment. The alliance offers financial assistance to licensed massage therapists for advanced training through approved third-party oncology massage classes and provides hands-on experience with cancer patients.

Ruane defines the essential aspects of an oncology massage therapist’s (OMT) skill set. “A properly trained therapist has an informed understanding of the disease itself and the many ways it can affect the human body; the side effects of cancer treatments, such as medications, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation; and the ability to modify massage techniques in order to adapt accordingly. Our main purpose is to reduce stress and provide emotional support for cancer patients and caregivers in radiation and infusion rooms.”

For example, an OMT will ask a patient about their cancer treatment history, including particulars of related individual health issues, prior to the massage. Hospitals in 35 states and Washington, D.C., now offer massage therapy to individuals during cancer treatment. MK Brennan, president of the Society for Oncology Massage created in 2007, in Toledo, Ohio is a registered nurse with a longtime practice in Charlotte, North Carolina. Brennan observes, “In nursing school, I was taught how to give a back rub, an aspect of patient care once provided by all nurses, but no longer part of a nurse’s education. It now appears that there could be a resurgence of interest in offering massage therapy in hospitals that would encompass more medical aspects and require modified techniques for different patient populations.”

In addition to oncology and geriatric massage, other select massage therapy modalities such as orthopedic, bodywork, Asian techniques and those related to pregnancy, infant and child healthcare as well as other special needs require advanced education and training.

Before making an appointment with a massage therapist/bodyworker for a specific type of help, inquire about their knowledge, experience, training and continuing education. Ask about additional credentials above entry-level core education specific to special needs.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

A kitchen garden represented by any kind of edible landscaping replaces some turf grass with produce. Carefully designed and maintained, it can be as attractive as any other garden space. “According to GardenResearch.com, 30 million U.S. households, about 25 percent, participated in vegetable gardening in 2015,” reports Dave Whitinger, executive director of the National Gardening Association, owned by Dash Works in Jacksonville, Texas.

“To integrate edibles into a landscape, first assess the locations of sunny and shady spots,” says Charlie Nardozzi. “Then, identify plants suited to the growing conditions that will fit in those areas. Mix in edibles with flowers, shrubs and groundcovers to keep the yard beautiful.” For urban areas, he recommends raised beds and containers as a good way to integrate edibles, bringing in clean soil and moving containers to the sunniest spots in the yard.

“We have 3,000 raised beds in Milwaukee,” says Gretchen Mead, executive director of the Victory Garden Initiative, which helps install edible landscapes. “We went from about 35 new kitchen gardens eight years ago to more than 500 each year now.”

The easy-to-build raised beds go on top of or in place of turf lawns. For Midwestern residents, Mead recommends beginning with six crops that can be started as transplants, like tomatoes or broccoli, and then growing a couple of plants from seed, like zucchini or green beans.

Water-Saving Gardens

“Water-saving gardens use less of this precious resource through appropriate plant choices, rain-conserving features, employing berming and terracing to slow runoff, water-permeable hardscaping and smart irrigation practices,” says Pam Penick, author of The Water-Saving Garden. “Regardless of where you live, saving water is a priority for everyone. Drought is a growing problem in the Southwest and West, but also affects the Midwest, Southeast and even New England.”

“Rain gardens help absorb, retain and use rainfall, preventing it from draining into the sewer,” agrees Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, with Colorado’s Denver Botanic Gardens. “Rain barrels collect water from gutters and downspouts so there’s more control in time and method of distribution, including perhaps drip irrigation.”

According to the Groundwater Foundation, in Lincoln, Nebraska, rain gardens can remove up to 90 percent of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80 percent of sediments from rainwater runoff. Compared to a conventional lawn, they allow 30 percent more water to soak into the ground.

Hardscaping

Hardscaped areas are used far more frequently than the turf lawn they replace as we move through spaces like walkways, patios, fountains, decks and grilling areas to enjoy the outdoors. “Plant people can get excited about planting but forget to leave ample space for patios and paths, often resulting in an overgrown, pinched look for seating areas and other places meant to be inviting,” cautions Penick. “It can also be easy to underestimate how large plants can grow in a few years. Plan ahead for these ‘people spaces’ and install them before establishing garden beds.”

Landscapers recommend being generous with this technique without paving over paradise. “Plants will spill and lean over hardscaping, so it won’t feel too large once your garden is filling in,” says Penick. “To address runoff and allow rainwater to soak into the soil, use water-permeable paving wherever possible: gravel, dry-laid flagstone or pavers; even mulch for casual paths.”

“Traditional turf lawns are an ecological nightmare,” says John Greenlee, author of The American Meadow Garden, who notes that most monoculture turf lawns never even get used.

His company, Greenlee and Associates, in Brisbane, California, designs residential and other meadows throughout the U.S. as an engaging alternative. Many other appealing options likewise use native plants appropriate to the local climate. For instance, replacing Kentucky bluegrass, Bermuda grass or another non-native species with natives can deliver drought resistance and lower irrigation needs; eliminate any need for fertilizers or toxic pesticides; reduce or eliminate labor-intensive and often polluting mowing and edging; enhance the beauty of a home; and attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

Before replacing a lawn, determine the desired result. It may simply be achieving a low-maintenance, lawn-free yard; growing food like vegetables, herbs, fruit or nuts; or supplying ample flowers for a fresh weekly bouquet. Other benefits might include increasing privacy, dining al fresco, escaping into nature or even sequestering carbon dioxide to reduce climate change.

To be successful, choices must be appropriate to the climate, plant hardiness zone, local zoning ordinances and homeowner association rules. Also consider the soil quality and acidity, moisture content and whether plantings will be in full sun or shade, or both.

The right regional native plants often include grasses and ferns, herbaceous plants like flowering perennials and woody ones like shrubs, vines and trees. Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife and help preserve a sense of place. “Work with a professional landscaper in your area, ideally a member of the Association for Professional Landscape Designers,” advises Greenlee. Tap a local university extension service, master gardener and garden club for local expertise, often available at no or low cost via classes or club membership.

Four-Season Climates

From the Midwest to New England, “Wild ginger makes a nice, low groundcover with heart-shaped leaves in shade or part shade, where lawn grass often struggles,” suggests Pam Penick, of Austin, Texas, author of Lawn Gone: Low-Maintenance, Sustainable Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard. “Pennsylvania sedge, a low, grassy, meadow-like groundcover, can also work. For areas with full sun, bearberry, an evergreen creeping shrub with red berry-like fruit in fall, or prairie dropseed, a beautiful prairie grass with sparkling seed heads in fall, might be worth trying.”

“Stick with the Carex family of plants, the sedges, for a native meadow,” echoes Greenlee. “They vary in color, texture and height. Follow nature’s lead and create a tapestry of commingled plants. Start slow and add flowering plants like Queen Anne’s lace, daisies, asters and poppies.”

“Basket grass is a low, evergreen grass-like plant with long, spaghetti-type leaves that puddle around it, suitable for shade or partially shaded areas,” advises Penick. “It’s slow, to grow but highly drought-tolerant and nicely covers a dry slope or spills over a retaining wall. Texas sedge makes a low-growing, meadowy alternative that’s evergreen and needs mowing only once every year or two.”

Moss is a fine option for shady and moist areas. “If moss is naturally colonizing a patch of yard, allow it to fill in where the lawn doesn’t want to grow,” Penick counsels. “It makes a springy, evergreen groundcover needing only brief misting to keep it looking good during dry periods.”

“Blue grama grass is native to many states, and buffalo grass is native to states west of the Mississippi River in the right places,” adds Greenlee. They’re especially suited for meadows established in drought-prone regions.

Adding some clover to a traditional lawn may eliminate the need for fertilizers while retaining some turf, says Erica Strauss, of Gamonds, Washington, in her Northwest Edible Life blog. “When the clover loses leaf mass from mowing, its roots die off to compensate and nitrogen enters the soil for neighboring plant roots to use,” she writes. White clover works well if you’re on a budget; microclover, if you’re not.

“If you crave a lawn but want to go native, Habiturf is perfect for the hot, dry Southwest,” says Penick. Developed by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, in Austin, Texas, it’s a mix of several native turf grasses, looks like a shaggy traditional lawn and can be mowed on a high setting occasionally to keep it neat. Once established, it needs far less water than traditional turf.

“Silver ponyfoot grows well in many regions as an annual; as a perennial, it needs mild winters,” Penick continues. “Native to western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, it likes good drainage, gravelly soil, and full-to-part sun.”

Xeriscaping—landscaping that requires little to no water—is especially prevalent in hot, dry regions. Plant choices typically include cactus, succulents, agave and herbs like rosemary or sage.

John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, co-authors of ECOpreneuring and Farmstead Chef, operate the Inn Serendipity, in Browntown, WI.

Gluten is not inherently bad. Traditionally grown and harvested, heirloom varieties of gluten containing grains are extremely beneficial for your health and are a great part of a balanced diet.

However, within the last 80 years or so, we have genetically modified wheat, barley, and rye grains to increase the gluten protein strand. The reason for genetically modifying these grains and more than doubling the gluten strand is to increase the yield, durability, and shelf life of the grain. But now, the gluten strand is so large that our bodies cannot adapt to this change in such a short period of time. Our focus on producing quantity over quality is showing to have long-term negative effects on our health.

Eating traditionally

Traditionally, grains were soaked overnight or fermented before they were cooked and then eaten. This process helped to break down the grains and allowed them to be more easily digestible. Today we skip that step because it takes too much time.

One other thing we don’t have the time for is chewing. I know you were told to “chew your food” as a child but chewing food is imperative to proper digestion. Grains and carbohydrates begin the digestion process in the mouth with maceration and combination with saliva. If this step is brief or skipped, the next place the carbohydrates have to break down is in the small intestines. If you swallow whole pieces of food, this puts immense strain on your digestive system.

Because gluten is larger than it has ever been, it is even more imperative that we use traditional methods when preparing these grains while take the time to properly chew our food.

What effect is gluten having on your health right now?

70% of your digestive system is "your gut" aka your small and large intestines.

The walls of your gut are lined with millions of microvilli. Villi are little microscopic fingers responsible for absorbing all the nutrients your body digests. The finger shape increases the surface area in which nutrients can be absorbed.

When gluten is introduced to your system, it acts like a rubber paste or glue in your gut. Its sticky nature coats all the villi and forces them to lay flat. With flattened villi, nutrients pass through your system without being properly absorbed. So if you are eating a healthy diet, gluten can actually be robbing you of the nutrients!

Unless you have experimented in removing gluten from your diet, you might not know how it is affecting you. If you are intolerant to gluten, you might experience an uncomfortable stomachache when you reintroduce it. But those who have Celiac disease are effected on a much more serious level. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease which means your body attacks itself in an effort to get rid of a foreign invader. Autoimmune diseases can be cured through food and lifestyle changes but if you have celiac disease the first step is to completely eliminate gluten from your diet.

How to go GF?

I usually recommend for all of my clients to eliminate gluten from their diet when they are trying to heal any sort of ailment or disease. It usually takes 2 weeks for gluten to leave your system (remember it’s a thick sticky substance) and then an additional week for your body to repair and adapt to the new gut environment. After 3 weeks you will see and feel a big difference. Most people say they feel cleaner and lighter inside.

To make this transition as easy as possible take note of some of the gluten-containing foods that you eat on a daily basis: bagel, cereal, bread, pasta, beer, etc. Then, focus on what you can eat that is naturally gluten free: potatoes, rice, oats*, corn, quinoa, amaranth, wine, etc.

*Oats are naturally gluten free but are usually processed in wheat plants so it’s important to make sure you eat oats free of gluten.

Then, brainstorm ways you can put this plan into action. For example: rather than eating cereal or a bagel for breakfast, have a smoothie, eggs, or porridge. Instead of a sandwich for lunch, have a stew, salad, or rice with vegetables and meat, etc. This will also help you diversify the nutrients in your diet which is vital to your health!

With any food elimination, it is important to stay ahead of your hunger to reduce cravings. Snacking on healthy food throughout the day and having meals prepared ahead of time can really help.

And one tempting thing I would love for you to avoid these 3 weeks are GF packaged products: pastas, bread, cookies, crackers, etc. Even though many of these products are organic, they are still "packaged foods" and contain high levels of sugar and are highly processed.

After 3 weeks of this gluten elimination, your cravings will have subsided and you may experience great side effects like more energy, less bloat, less joint pain and headaches, deeper sleep, and notice that you feel lighter!

And remember not to focus on just what you can’t eat but what you can eat. Eating a variety of whole foods that are in season and come from the earth is the best thing you can do for vibrant health.

Megan McGill is a Certified Natural Foods Chef and Holistic Health Coach who is a firm believer in food’s amazing ability to heal. As a new Houston resident, she is excited to share her passion for finding health and healing through the right combination of organic, local, seasonal food specifically tailored to your condition. To contact her or to learn more go to her website.

I was a kid when my parents took poet and counterculture guru Allen Ginsberg to NASA at his request. Dad was a German professor at the University of Houston and had invited Ginsberg to speak to the UH students following the success of his book Howl. I wasn’t invited to tag along on the car trip but years later, my dad recounted that Ginsberg sat lotus-style and chanted “Om” the entire way to and from Clear Lake – his way of elevating the energy surrounding the space program, something he looked upon as wasted government dollars. The mighty powers of meditation burned off Ginsberg’s anger before it even had a chance to lift off.

“Meditate each morning.” is the third way to ignite your life in my “IGNITE YOUR LIFE!” art project and community campaign (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) and the word associated with this concept is “MEDITATE.” Meditation is powerful indeed: research has shown that meditating at least 12 minutes a day improves your memory and concentration and a consistent practice can cure a host of ills while improving brain activity, physical health, and spiritual connection.

I specify morning meditation because for many of us, if we don’t get our meditation in first thing, it gets lost in the chaos of the day. Deepak Chopra encourages an “RPM” meditation practice: “Rise. Pee. Meditate.” I find that meditating first thing in the morning sets the tone for the day and gives me a calm base to which I can return throughout the day.

So how do you start this practice? If you wish, return to the wisdom of Allen Ginsberg. He’s got a hilarious video called “Do the Meditation Rock” -- “The first thing you do when you meditate is keep your spine, your backbone straight. Sit yourself down on a pillow on the ground or sit on a chair if the ground isn’t there. Follow your breath, right out of your nose, follow it out as far as it goes.” In my daily routine, I start out by ringing a bowl, finding my breath, and focusing on one word for 15. I then think of at least one person to pray for, one thing to be thankful for, one thing to let go of, and one person to forgive. I throw in a little journaling or an inspirational reading and then I’m done.

Well-known Houston yogi Jennifer Buergermeister first fell in love with meditation when doing a silent retreat at which the Vipassan method was taught – a method which focuses on the breath in a deep way. She learned it at the Dhamma Sir Southwest Vipassan Meditation Center (www.siri.dhamma.org), a place which offers free pay-it-forward retreats.

If meditating in community (silent or not) is your thing, there are plenty of places to practice meditation in Houston. Tibetan Buddhist Center Dawn Mountain (www.dawnmountain.org) has a full calendar of offerings including “Yoga for Meditators” and a group meditation on Sunday mornings and “Kind Mind, Happy Life” for kids 4-8 years old. The Health Museum (www.thehealthmuseum.org) offers mindfulness meditation classes for adults and kids 6-12 years old as a perfect way to connect the body’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. Micki Fine (www.livingmindfully.org) is our city’s mindfulness guru and she offers a regular schedule of classes and workshops and groups as well as free intro meditation sessions. And if you’d like to enjoy a silent retreat that’s perfect for intensive meditation, look into free overnight personal retreats at the Cenacle Retreat House (www.cenaclesisters.org) and the Ruah Spirituality Center at Villa de Matel (https://sistersofcharity.org/ruah-spirituality-center/).

“Meditate each morning.” Is one of my twelve ways to ignite your life daily – ways that, if followed, will stave off depression, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation. Being ignited for your life does that.

Sarah Gish is the founder of IGNITE YOUR LIFE. Igniteyourownlife.com and the publisher of GISH PICKS: Culture for Kids & Adults. Gishpicks.com.

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Joseph Mercola has practiced as a board-certified family physician for more than 30 years. His educational website, Mercola.com, has been the most visited natural health site for the past 12 years, with 12 million unique visitors each month. His three New York Times bestsellers include Effortless Healing.

With today’s overload of conflicting health information—and the temptation to self-diagnose—how can we accurately assess our status in terms of optimal wellness?

One of the major principles I strongly embrace is to listen to your body and adjust your lifestyle based on the feedback it’s providing you. The seven clinically proven gauges I advise you to assess now and continue to monitor every six months or so are fasting insulin level (normal is less than five micro-international units per milliliter of blood; ideal is less than three); vitamin D level (normal is 40 to 60 nanograms per milliliter); waist-to-hip ratio (ideal for men, 0.8; for women, 0.7); body fat percentage (fitness level for women is 21 to 24 percent; for men, 14 to 17 percent); HDL to total cholesterol ratio (ideally 24 to 30 percent or higher); blood pressure (ideal numbers are 120 over 80 systolic/diastolic without medication); and uric acid level (ideal is three to five milligrams per deciliter).

It is important to get these levels checked, because it is impossible to know without testing.

In your opinion, what is the greatest health risk Americans face today and what can we do about it right now?

I’m convinced that for the typical American, the most important health step to take is to stop drinking soda, sports drinks, fruit juices or artificially flavored and sweetened waters and replace them with pure water.

Most people are now aware that sodas are laced with processed sugars like high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, but many don’t know that their favorite sport and vitamin drinks contain these sweeteners plus a host of frightening extras, including toxic chemicals like chlorine, fluoride, phthalates, BPA [bisphenol A] and disinfection byproducts.

What role do carbohydrates play?

Carbs are a far dirtier fuel than fat and generate far more reactive oxygen species than fat; such excess will cause free radical formation that decimates cellular and mitochondrial DNA, proteins and cell membranes, contributing to a foundational cause of most diseases. Some 70 years of following low-fat diet recommendations has resulted in the vast majority of dieters losing the ability to burn fat as their primary fuel.

One of the most powerful strategies to regain this ability is to start a practice of regular intermittent fasting, restricting your eating window to six to14 hours a day and fast the rest of the day.

Of course you will want to replace high-net carb intake, or total carbs minus fiber, with healthy fats such as those in avocadoes, coconut oil, seeds and nuts. Avoid industrially processed omega-6 vegetable oils like corn, soy and canola.

Because an indoor, climate-controlled, sedentary lifestyle may lead to slowly developing chronic disease, what changes do you suggest we make?

Spending time outside with bare feet in contact with the ground even for short periods can yield significant benefits. It’s even better to do it with the sun shining on your bare skin.

The Earth is an abundant source of free electrons, and when the sun shines on your skin a vital biological circuit forms that helps transfer energy to water throughout the body, which serves as a cellular battery. Albert Einstein won a Nobel Prize for describing this process, called the photoelectric effect.

Reducing the length of time sitting each day and regularly moving is even more important for most of us than getting regular exercise. A good rule of thumb is to stand up every 15 minutes or so.

What can we do better to maintain optimal health?

Two-thirds of Americans are overweight. The problems with carrying excess weight are more than aesthetic. At the root of obesity is mitochondrial metabolic dysfunction. Metabolic disorders go hand-in-hand with many of the chronic diseases plaguing Americans in record numbers—including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia and cancer, according to numerous studies, including research by the Centers for Disease Control and the Center for the Study of Chronic Metabolic and Rare Diseases at George Mason University.

The most potent strategy to address such metabolic dysfunction is to make a strong commitment to reaching and maintaining a personally healthy level of body fat.

Rather than routinely giving drugs to dogs and cats to relieve dry, itchy, skin or food allergies, consider more gentle natural alternatives. As with people, knowing what an animal is allergic to is key in finding the right remedy and preventing future outbreaks.

With dogs, about 20 percent of itching and scratching can be attributed to food ingredients. Symptoms can show up as early as 5 months or as late as 12 years old, often combined with inhalant or contact allergies. Chronic ear infections are often traced to food allergies.

“If a pet is suffering mightily, see your veterinarian for shots or pills for immediate relief. Then ask the vet to allergy test for the specific problem,” advises Veterinarian Laurie Dohmen, owner of Purple Moon Herbs and Studies, in Hartly, Delaware. “This isn’t something you can do yourself. I’ve seen pet owners use what worked for a friend’s dog and make their own pets sicker, despite research and good intentions. What works for one pet won’t necessarily work for another.”

While food elimination testing works, it’s a long process that must be done with precision. “If your pet even just nibbles the eliminated food, you have to start all over again,” says Dohmen. Whether commercially prepared or home cooked, the number of ingredients can substantially extend a test period. Each item must be completely avoided for about six weeks for an accurate assessment.

Environmental allergies, which encompass everything unrelated to food, range from common grasses to inhaled pollutants. New carpets or rugs, cleaning supplies, a neighbor’s pesticides, dust and pollen are among the culprits that can cause an allergic reaction. Common symptoms are itchy ears or skin, ear infections, sneezing, runny eyes, scratching, vomiting or diarrhea.

Veterinarian Judy Morgan, owner of Naturally Healthy Pets, in Clayton, New Jersey, also uses herbs in her practice to alleviate food and environmental allergy symptoms. “They can be tinctures or poultices; one herb or a blended mixture. Some are applied externally, some internally.” Giving the proper dosage for the size of the pet is vital.

She particularly likes calendula for hot spots, despite its odor, because it’s antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral, followed by witch hazel to dry them, and then coconut oil or aloe to soothe and soften affected skin—plus Echinacea to boost the immune system. She uses ginger or peppermint to counteract nausea.

“Many people think an allergic pet should be switched to a lamb and rice diet. In some cases, that makes dry, itchy, skin worse,” she says. “That’s why it’s important to know what they are allergic to before trying out new foods or herbal remedies. Find a holistic vet to work with.”

Morgan often prescribes a mixture of herbs for the best results. “I like licorice because it works like a steroid without the side effects. Probiotics help keep gut bacteria and the immune system healthy. Parsley works well for dry, itchy, skin caused by a blood deficiency, or imbalance.

“Parsley brings a protein, as well as several vitamins, to the party,” notes Kimberly Gauthier, a dog nutrition blogger in Marysville, Washington. “It’s a natural anti-inflammatory and also great if your dog’s breath needs a freshness boost.” She suggests rosemary and thyme as ingredients in an antibacterial, antifungal salve; she mixes these essential oils with extra virgin coconut oil and beeswax to create paw balm.

Morgan reminds us that essential oils can be harmful, even life-threatening, for cats. “If Kitty has itchy skin, lavender tea can be used as a rinse on cooperative cats,” she suggests. “For a less cooperative feline, chamomile tea as a drink or as leaves mixed into the food soothes itches.”

Dohmen cautions, “Herbs and other homeopathic remedies or flower essences are medicine and should be given as a prescription by a qualified veterinarian.”

“These symptoms may be part of newfound awareness of the wide-ranging and seemingly unrelated health problems caused by food sensitivities and intolerances, which are different from food allergies,” explains microbiologist Kiran Krishnan, of Chicago.

Food Allergies

Food allergies seem to be plaguing America’s children now more than in the past. We know that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, once standard lunchbox fare, have become a no-no. They’re often outlawed by schools to protect the students that experience extreme peanut allergies.

The symptoms of food allergies in adults and children, often including hives, rashes and itching, can range from being annoying to life threatening. For extremely sensitive people, the tiniest fragment of a peanut or a bee sting, exposure to latex gloves or certain medications like penicillin can cause such a sudden strong allergic reaction that it can result in anaphylaxis, which can make breathing passages swell shut. If untreated, such extreme allergies can even prove fatal, which is why people with severe allergies carry the antidote epinephrine (adrenaline) with them. .

Food allergies are diagnosed by blood and/or skin testing under the supervision of a medical professional, usually a doctor of medicine, osteopathy or naturopathy. Effective treatment, which must be customized to the individual, typically entails avoidance of allergy triggers.

“Most of what we’re seeing today is an uptick in food sensitivities and intolerances, terms that are often used interchangeably to describe foods that are not digested well and can challenge the immune system,” says Solana Beach, California, nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin, author of The Virgin Diet.

Newark, Delaware, medical doctor and allergist Junfang Jiao, Ph.D., attests to increased levels of testing for food allergies and sensitivities in recent years. “I can’t say there are more allergies or sensitivities, but more doctors are aware of the wide-ranging symptoms and more people are getting referred for testing,” he reports.

Many experts agree on at least one underlying cause behind the trend—a widely studied condition called leaky gut, characterized by intestinal permeability. Microscopic pinholes in an unhealthy small intestine can allow undigested nutrients to pass through intestinal walls, triggering mild immune responses, inflammation and, potentially, the onset of some diseases.

Theories of what causes leaky gut are diverse and sometimes contradictory but experts recommend consulting a medical professional if one suffers from food sensitivities. Each individual is unique, so there is no blanket “solution” for everyone.

Dysbiosis: Leaky gut is often caused by an imbalance in “good” and “bad” intestinal bacteria, sometimes called dysbiosis, says Krishnan. It can be brought on by the use of antibiotics, antibiotic residues in meats and dairy products or a diet high in sugar and processed foods.

Most interesting, he believes, is the discovery that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup used on genetically modified (GMO) corn and soy crops, contributes to dysbiosis, verified by Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists in a study published in Interdisciplinary Toxicology. They concluded with a “plea to world governments to reconsider policies regarding the safety of glyphosate residues in foods.”

GMOs: While this issue has been less widely analyzed, a 1996 study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin added to Monsanto’s GMO corn crops to kill pests is not destroyed during human digestion. Danish researchers at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University suggested it may damage cells of the intestinal lining.

Gluten: “Gluten causes leaky gut,” says Port Jefferson, New York, naturopathic doctor Doni Wilson, author of The Stress Remedy, an admittedly controversial opinion based on her review of related scientific literature. “Whether you are sensitive to it or not, gluten increases the production of zonulin, which can result in damage to intestinal walls and cause the cells on the outside of the intestines to set off an immune response to anything that passes through. In this condition, what we’re eating—cheese, milk, eggs, corn, soy—is leaking through the gut lining, triggering an immune response and potentially creating multiple food sensitivities.”

Wilson also notes that in her clinical experience, only about half of her patients with gluten sensitivities complain of digestive issues. “I’ve found that gluten causes the immune cells on the outside of the small intestine to affect the nervous system, causing headaches, anxiety, depression and insomnia,” she says. Her findings are backed by research from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Celiac Research and Italy’s University of Catania. The same researchers confirm that non-celiac gluten sensitivity or intolerance can also foster depression; a University of Cincinnati study published in the journal Headache links gluten and headaches.

Other proteins in wheat can be problematic, advises Fiona McCulloch, a Toronto doctor of naturopathy, citing a study presented at the annual European Gastroenterology Conference, in Vienna, last October. The report showed that a family of proteins called amylase trypsin inhibitors can lead to the development of inflammation in tissues beyond the gut, including the lymph nodes, kidneys, spleen and brain.

Glyphosate residues can be a factor in gluten intolerance. Although wheat crops produced in the U.S. are not yet genetically modified, many non-organic wheat crops are sprayed with glyphosate to promote rapid drying, according to the Environmental Working Group.

Inadequate digestive enzymes: Lactose intolerance is the most common result of missing digestive enzymes like lactase, according to the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. Avoiding milk products may relieve digestive distress for some.

Eliminate Items, Then Challenge

Most experts believe the easiest way to deal with food sensitivities is to stop eating the food in question. The so-called “elimination and challenge” diet has been in use for decades, is effective, free and addresses the foods responsible for common food intolerances, says Virgin.

Simply completely avoid the food of concern for at least three weeks, then eat a small amount of it and catalog the results. For some people, it may only take a couple of hours for symptoms to return after eating a piece of bread, cup of milk, an egg or bit of tofu.

Virgin’s seven-food challenge is a bit more rigorous, but improves feelings of general well-being so readily that many people don’t even want to bring back the eliminated foods because they feel so much better, she says. Her three-week diet completely eliminates the most common food sensitivity triggers: gluten-containing foods (largely wheat), dairy, eggs, soy, corn, peanuts, sugar and artificial sweeteners.

“When I say eliminate these foods 100 percent, I mean it,” cautions Virgin. “You need to give your immune system at least that much time to cool off.” She adds, “You can do anything like this for just three weeks.”

Virgin also recommends the elimination diet for weight loss because it helps overcome food cravings triggered by the immune system response and leptin resistance, leveraging the hormone that turns off the body’s hunger signals, a finding confirmed by independent studies performed by Sweden’s Lund University and Italy’s University of Palermo. She’s also documented other positive effects through her own research and experience with participants in her programs, including improvements in energy, focus, joint pain, skin clarity and bloating, all in the designated short time frames.

Other Approaches

People with food sensitivities may be able to tolerate occasional indulgences in their trigger foods once they’ve healed their digestive systems, notes Krishnan. Probiotics can help, especially those encapsulated in spores so they can pass through the barrage of stomach acid and reach the small intestine where they are most needed.

Krishnan’s research, to be published this spring, showed that half of otherwise healthy young people suffering from leaky gut had a dramatic reduction of symptoms by taking a spore-forming probiotic Bacillus indicus product for 30 days. After the healing period, sensitive people may be able to eat small amounts of certain foods with the assistance of dietary aids and supplements, adds McCulloch.

Get dirty: Johns Hopkins University research has shown that kids raised in an excessively hygienic environment experience much higher rates of allergies and sensitivities. University of Wisconsin researchers found that youths growing up in households that are less than obsessively sanitary among four or five other people and dogs helps strengthen and challenge their immune systems as they mature. Adults need to challenge their immune systems, too, says Krishnan.

Block sensitivity triggers: Many people with lactose intolerance are able to consume dairy products if they use lactase, the enzyme that helps digest lactose. Similarly, some people with gluten intolerance find they can eat moderate amounts of wheat products with protein supplements like lectin, carb blockers and digestive enzymes that help break down the gluten molecules, according to Virgin.

Supplements that might help: Glucomannan (konjac or elephant yam fiber) contributes to a feeling of fullness and stabilizes blood sugar, says McCulloch. She also recommends the amino acid L-glutamine and digestive enzymes to assist in gut healing.

Kathleen Barnes is the author of numerous natural health books. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com.

A new study from King’s College London has found that children’s use of electronic devices close to bedtime can reduce their chances of a good night’s sleep. Researchers examined 20 existing studies of more than 125,000 children between the ages of 6 and 19. They found that youngsters using a device within 90 minutes of falling asleep had an increased likelihood of poor and inadequate sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Study author Ben Carter, Ph.D., says, “Sleep is an often undervalued but important part of children’s development, with a regular lack of sleep causing a variety of health problems.” These can include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, reduced immune function and poor diet. Poor food choices and excessive eating can start young, as illustrated in a study from Colorado University, in Boulder, which found a link between sleep deprivation and poor diet choices in preschool-aged children.

The Colorado study followed five girls and five boys, ages 3 and 4, that were regular afternoon nappers. They were deprived of their naps for one day during which their food and beverage consumption was monitored and compared with their choices on a day when their sleep routine remained intact. During the sleep-deprived day, the children ate 20 percent more calories than usual and their diet consisted of 25 percent more sugar and 26 percent more carbohydrates.

Researchers from Tianjin Medical University, in Tianjin, China, have discovered that regularly taking docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves brain function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. A total of 219 adults over the age of 65 participated in the randomized, double-blind, 12-month trial. Half of the subjects were given two grams of DHA daily, while the others received a placebo.

The researchers measured cognitive function, including a full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) test and two IQ subtests which serve as indicators of both short and long-term memory. The tests were administered after six months and again after 12 months. The DHA group showed a 10 percent higher IQ than the placebo group. There were also significant increases in both IQ subtests and brain hippocampus volume in the DHA group. Decreased hippocampus volume is a primary indicator of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers in Singapore studied the relationship between eczema and wheezing in babies and food allergies in toddlers. Researchers collected data from 849 children that had completed skin prick testing for inhalant and food allergies, including eggs, peanuts and cow’s milk at 18 months and 36 months of age. The resulting data were compared to information obtained from questionnaires administered to the children’s mothers at several intervals throughout their first three years of life to determine the prevalence of allergic diseases such as eczema and rhinitis, along with wheezing.

The researchers found children that experienced eczema or wheezing within their first 18 months were more likely to have an allergy at 36 months of age. Occurrences of eczema or wheezing after youngsters were 18 months old appeared to have no notable impact on the later allergy skin test results.

A study from Dijon, France, found that a specific nutrient combination supplement can help reduce feelings of anxiety and tiredness. Researchers studied 242 subjects between the ages of 18 and 70 that complained of stress and fatigue. Each was given a supplement containing magnesium, probiotics, vitamins and minerals to take for one month.

Researchers measured the subjects’ stress and fatigue levels before commencing the test period and again one month later. They found a 22 percent reduction in psychological stress and a 45 percent reduction in fatigue. Thirty days after the supplementation was discontinued, the subjects’ stress and fatigue levels remained reduced.

Lutein and zeaxanthin are important carotenoids for eye health, filtering out harmful high-energy blue wavelengths of light and helping to protect and maintain cells comprising the eye. The human body does not make enough of either nutrient, so we must get them from supplements or food sources such as kale, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, corn, green peas, broccoli, romaine lettuce, green beans and eggs.

Researchers from the University of Georgia, in Athens, investigated the relationship between levels of lutein and zeaxanthin and cognitive function. They measured the levels of each nutrient in the retinas of 43 older adults with a mean age of 72 and asked that the subjects learn and recall pairs of unrelated words. The study found that those with higher levels of both nutrients did better on the test, suggesting that the enhanced neural efficiency that comes from consuming these nutrients leads to better brain function.

The five-second rule is a belief that food that falls to the floor can be safely eaten as long as it’s picked up quickly. Researchers from Rutgers University, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, sought to test its veracity. Four different food items were tested, including watermelon, bread and butter, bread and gummy candy, using four different surfaces—stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood and carpet.

Each surface was contaminated with bacteria and completely dry before the scientists dropped each item for one second, five, 30 and 300 seconds. A total of 128 separate scenarios were repeated 20 times each and 2,560 measurements were taken and analyzed for contamination.

The results proved that longer contact time resulted in more bacterial contamination, but there were also cases of instantaneous contamination, which disproves the five-second rule. The wet surface of a watermelon yielded the most contamination and gummy candy the least. The surface tests yielded surprising results, with carpet transferring significantly fewer bacteria than tile and stainless steel, while wood floors exhibited varied results

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston, used data from previous studies to discern the association between dairy and animal fat and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in American adults.

The study reviewed dairy fat and other fat consumption data using validated food-frequency questionnaires from more than 43,000 men and 175,000 women during three different studies, each spanning at least 20 consecutive years. Of the subjects studied, 14,815 developed some form of CVD, close to 7 percent of the total.

The researchers found that replacing dairy foods with foods containing polyunsaturated fats—primarily found in vegetables, nuts and fish—in just 5 percent of a subject’s diet reduced the risk of CVD by an average of 24 percent. But replacing the same percentage of dairy fats with other animal fats increased the incidence of CVD by 6 percent.

Anyone that has struggled to reduce their intake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) may have considered avoiding saturated fat in their diets, although the latest meta-study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine now refutes this. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen, in Denmark, conducted a test to determine if consuming low-fat versus regular cheeses impacts LDL cholesterol levels.

The study divided 139 people into three groups. One ate regular fat cheese, one consumed reduced-fat cheese and one didn’t eat any cheese at all for 12 weeks. Both LDL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) levels were tested at the beginning and end of the period. Researchers found no significant difference in the LDL levels of any of the groups and no difference between the HDL levels of the reduced-fat and regular cheese groups, suggesting that consuming low-fat versions has no measurable metabolic benefit.

An increase in HDL levels among those that abstained from eating cheese altogether was noted.

Natural burials allow those that lived their principles of an environmentally sound life to complete their days in a planet-friendly, personalized way.

“The number of U.S. cemeteries allowing natural burials has increased by 30 in the last year,” says Elizabeth Fournier, owner of Cornerstone Funeral Services, in Boring, Oregon. “More than 150 cemeteries allow them now. We encourage replacing cut flowers with plants. A multipurpose wooden casket can serve as a bookshelf until needed, or a casket can be made of natural wicker, paper or grass.” Formaldehyde-free embalming fluids made of non-toxic and biodegradable essential oils allow for a synthetic chemical-free burial.

“Green burials tend to be unique and can last from one to four hours,” says Brian Flowers, green burial coordinator for Moles Farewell Tributes, in Bellingham, Washington. “One funeral had 50 Civil War re-enactors in blue and gray outfits, along with a 21-musket and two-cannon salute. Another was led by a shaman. Natural burial isn’t just for the Birkenstock/patchouli crowd. Our area is farm-rich, so a green burial fits with the idea of living close to the land.”

The Moles’ four-and-one-half-acre meadow for natural burial will expand in the next two years to eight acres. Flowers explains, “It’s an ecological restoration site. We manage invasive species and plant three native plants for each burial.”

In Houston, Terry Ward, president and CEO of Country Communities, notes how fast-paced lifestyles can prevent intimate connections among siblings. “At Indigo Fields, we’re able to implant an app-accessible microchip into an urn or stone. The information can include photos, details of the person’s life and stories that might otherwise become lost. It can be updated at any time and serves as a gift for anyone researching the family tree. It helps the living heal and talk about their fears, too.”

Added Green Alternatives

Cremation has always been an alternative to burial, but is energy intensive; recycling medical parts helps green up this option. Many choices are available for the cremains, the ashes that remain after a cremation.

Many states outlaw burying pet remains in a human cemetery, so Lisa Brambilla, of Yorba Linda, California, invented 100 percent biodegradable Bio Urns. “Before, pet lovers had few choices when it came time to say goodbye. Laying a cremated pet to rest this way makes a loss easier because it’s a physical manifestation of a pet in plant form. It hurts a little less,” she says. Each urn comes with a seed for a tree or shrub and the proper soil to help it grow.

“Maka, a keeshond, was the dog my son’s heart bonded with; he was six when she died,” Brambilla relates. “After she grew into a tree, he could smile when he talked about her. It teaches kids to create a new life and to treat the planet well. Death is nothing but a word. The only thing real is life.” Bio Urn expanded to include human clients after Brambilla’s father-in-law requested to be remembered via a redwood tree and her mother, a Christmas tree.

Eternal reefs are made of ashes mixed with cement placed in the ocean in a military-style ceremony to help support marine life for at least 500 years. Family members retain the reef’s GPS coordinates and can boat or dive to visit it.

Music lovers can choose to have their ashes compressed into a vinyl record. A live recording of goodbyes, a last will and testament or compilation of favorite songs can be prerecorded. Ashes can also be compressed into colorful memorial gemstones ready to be set into jewelry to keep a loved one close.

Resomation, or bio-cremation, liquefies the body in a heated alkaline bath, using far less energy than traditional cremation and without environmentally harmful chemical emissions; afterward, the bones are ground, resembling cremains, and are returned to the family.

Promession is a way to freeze-dry the body by immersion in liquid nitrogen at -321° F. When it becomes brittle, vibrations shake the corpse into small pieces, water is evaporated and the dust that remains can be used as compost. Invented by Swedish biologist Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, she feels it’s the utmost Earth-friendly way to return a body to the soil.

As people opt to avoid the higher costs of a traditional funeral and elect practical, eco-friendly ways to exit Earth’s orbit, natural burials can become more accepted ways to achieve Biblical dust-to-dust while doing no harm.

“Imagine an exercise system that strengthens the body enough to be used in training world-class athletes, stretches more safely than any form of yoga and expands the core training concepts of Pilates into natural full-body movements like those used in everyday reaching and walking, along with jumping and swimming. This is the Gyrotonic system,” says Angela Crowley, a Gyrotonic master teacher, trainer and exercise spa owner in Coral Gables, Florida.

A former gymnast and dancer, Crowley took to the Gyrotonic approach after being severely injured in an automobile accident. “Traditional physical therapy only addressed certain aspects without bringing me back to normal,” she says. “Running and yoga felt intolerable. Gyrotonic exercises became a perfect bridge. I was able to rehabilitate safely while challenging myself back to normal expectations and now, beyond.” The system of fluid movements leverages specially designed equipment that can be customized for every individual.

“The Gyrotonic system combines elements from many different modalities into three-dimensional, circular movements. A primary focus is on all the different motions of the spine and how to create rhythmic flowing movement within the entire body,” says Stefani Schrimpf, Gyrotonic instructor and studio owner of Physiques, in Overland Park, Kansas. “The exercises strengthen, lengthen and stretch muscles, while stimulating connective tissues around the joints. They also improve balance, flexibility and coordination. This system allows you to push beyond specific limitations and to isolate and fine tune movement skills.” says Schrimpf.

While a Gyrotonic workout has similarities with yoga and Pilates, it is also unique. According to Melissa Jutras, a Pilates instructor, weightlifting coach, personal trainer and gym/studio owner of Big Blue Strength, in Lexington, Kentucky, “Hatha yoga is a series of static postures, whereas Pilates and Gyrotonic movements focus on flow, using equipment to enhance core strength, stability, control, coordination and flexibility. The difference is that Gyrotonic exercises works on three dimensions with every circular movement, like the body naturally moves. It uses weights and a pulley system, whereas Pilates is more linear and uses spring tension.”

Jutras believes the Gyrotonic system, Pilates and yoga all complement weightlifting and strength training, affording a mind-body balance. “The body then experiences low and high threshold exercise, low intensity and high intensity, weight bearing and non-weight bearing activity,” she says.

Crowley sees the Gyrotonic approach complementing virtually any activity. “The exercises help practitioners learn how to move more efficiently, easily, powerfully, gracefully and successfully in every facet of life.”

The method is also offered without equipment in the form of Gyrokinesis, a flowing class done on a chair, mat and standing. This affordable option can be practiced independently at home.

“My youngest client is 7, my oldest is 94,” relates Crowley. “We have clients that have become bored by repetitive exercise and enjoy the limitless variations of movements that keep both their minds and muscles alert. We have chronic pain clients that have exhausted other medical options and are improving their ability to function more optimally and enjoying their lives again.”

Both Schrimpf and her husband, Juan Trujillo, teach the Gyrotonic method. “Our greatest reward is the feedback we get. Once people try it, they’re hooked,” she says. “It transforms how people think about movement and brings a sense of joy and accomplishment. They feel their joints becoming more supple and balanced, and find their bodies responding well to the natural movement patterns.”

Aimee Hughes, a freelance writer in Kansas City, MO, is a doctor of naturopathy and consultant for the Yandara Yoga Institute. Connect at ChezAimee@gmail.com.

Find an illustrative video and search classes by postal code at Gyrotonic.com.

Every life unfolds as a uniquely dynamic, purposeful and potentially heroic story that is open to interpretation, especially our own. We are the star and spin doctor of this work-in-progress, with the power to tell our stories as triumphs, tragedies or something in-between. Our life story is filled with suspense: Big and little decisions affect our storyline including the relationships we choose, our goals, how we live and the ways we nourish ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

How we tell our story matters. We are constantly sifting through competing narratives to make sense of our world for our self and others. Whether we consider our self a heroic figure overcoming obstacles or a tragic victim of destiny often depends on how we choose to read the text of our life and tell our story.

Creating a personal myth is a fundamental way we find meaning. We are always the protagonist, with supporting characters providing love and assistance and antagonists posing challenges that push us beyond our comfort zones. Rather than narcissism or navel-gazing, the more intimate we become with our own story, the more we realize that everyone has an equally valid and vital narrative in which they are the central character. Understanding that everyone is on their own story journey can help us establish connection and empathy.

In every myth, the protagonist has a character arc; a particular way they mature and develop due to shifting tides in their life story. Similarly, each of us is on an ever-evolving journey of self-discovery with choices about how to respond to situations, conflicts and happenstance. By reframing our lives as personal growth adventures, we can adapt to plot twists and view unexpected difficulties as opportunities for self-transformation. With gusto, we can reclaim and shape our personal narrative through choice and voice.

Thinking of our self as the main character in our story can help us shift to novel perspectives on situations we repeatedly face. Instead of staying stuck in the same old storyline, try asking, “If I were a character in a novel or movie…

*What would I hope the hero would do when faced with these circumstances?

*What actions or outcomes would I prefer as the observer of this story?

*Why would a benevolent author place this character in a particular situation?

With imagination and well-directed self-inquiry, we can step out of our stories, check out the landscape and determine whether to stay on our current path or go in a different direction. We can then transform obstacles into opportunities to break bad habits and improve character, becoming true heroes of our own living, evolving stories.

Kim Schneiderman is a New York City psychotherapist and author of Step Out of Your Story: Writing Exercises to Reframe and Transform Your Life. Visit StepOutOfYourStory.com.

Whether it’s a damaging rumor posted on Facebook, a humiliating photo shared on Instagram or a threatening text, cyberbullying is increasing among today’s youth. A 2015 Cyberbullying Research Center study of middle school students found that 43 percent had been targeted, while 15 percent admitted to being online bullies. Meanwhile, students, parents and teachers are combating cyber-aggression with initiatives to make the phenomenon socially unacceptable in schools.

Grassroots Action

Tyler Gregory, 23, attended a small, insular high school in rural Ohio where bullying was problematic. As a senior with younger siblings approaching their high school years, he aimed to change the local culture to make bullying uncool.

Gregory decided to make a movie to submit to the NO BULL Challenge, a national organization that provides students a platform to develop and disseminate materials that spark dialogue about such troubling issues. Challenges ranged from teaching himself filmmaking and persuading students to participate to mustering the courage to present the project to his school. He achieved the transformation he sought, beginning with 70 students participating in his production.

“I appealed to classmates by asking, ‘How do you want to be remembered? Why not choose to be viewed positively, as leaders?’” says Gregory, who later became a spokesperson for NO BULL Challenge. To date, the challenge has received 600 submissions, garnering 23 million impressions through digital and social media, the vehicles of cyberbullies. A recent graduate of Dayton, Ohio’s Wright State University, Gregory has spoken to about 45,000 students in 27 states in school assemblies.

Nancy Willard, director of Embrace Civility in the Digital Age, headquartered in Creswell, Oregon, believes that such initiatives, which shift schools from punitive approaches to making bullying incompatible with accepted social norms are the only way to bring lasting change. “We need to cultivate a climate where being hurtful is contrary to a school’s expressed values. Most young people don’t like to see their peers being hurtful and admire those that stand up to peers and have them make amends,” says Willard. The educator’s website, EmbraceCivility.org, offers free materials with concrete steps for students and teachers to foster positive school environments.

Protecting the Vulnerable

Cyberbullying isn’t limited to attacks on unpopular kids that lack satisfying peer relationships. It’s seven times more likely to occur between current or former friends and romantic partners than between strangers, according to a study led by Diane Felmlee, professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University. Felmlee’s research further found that non-heterosexual youth are four times as likely as their heterosexual peers to be cyberbullied, while popular kids are also frequently targeted.

Two social dynamics seem to be at work: “One involves individuals that violate social norms, such as LGBTQ youth, and the other revolves around status struggles,” reports Felmlee. “In the latter case, bullies are vying for popularity, recognition and self-esteem. Those with higher social status can be attacked because they’re viewed as competition.”

Cyberbullying’s impact can exceed face-to-face aggression, as offensive remarks can spread far and fast, and live online in perpetuity instead of fading away, observes Felmlee. Gregory adds that it can also affect students’ ability to learn when some skip school to avoid tormentors.

Helpful Responses

Most youths don’t report cyberbullying, feeling embarrassed, afraid the situation will get worse or doubtful of remedial action. “Schools need to step up their response to bullying, make it known that it won’t be tolerated, set clear policies and enforce them,” counsels Gregory. Because most bullied youths don’t speak up, parents need to communicate openly with kids and be aware of their online activities, advises Felmlee.

Willard notes that it’s also important to address the bullies themselves through understanding their motivation, and then persuading them to accept responsibility and take steps to rectify harm. “This should be about reparation, not punishment.” Gregory’s high school film assures bullies that it’s never too late to make amends.

While it can be hard to stand up to bullies, caring peers can easily express support. “Bystanders have the power to change the atmosphere,” agrees Gregory. “Kindly approaching a student being picked on who may feel alone and ashamed goes further than most students realize.”

Those affected by cyberbullying also can cut off their aggressors, suggests Gregory. “The ‘block’ button is powerful. Cyberbullies want to see a reaction. Blocking them from social media exchanges or texting takes away their power.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, of Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Muting Meanness

Here are some tips to help keep digital spaces safe and civil.

* Think twice before posting a photo or comment that could be taken out of context and misappropriated.

* Report bad behavior to an adult, who can help figure out the right course of action.

* Don’t portray youth as victims, which can perpetuate the idea they are weak and vulnerable targets.

* Save cyber evidence to help officials take appropriate action. Some schools now have online reporting systems that allow students to anonymously submit screenshots from social media.

* Don’t retaliate. It likely will only aggravate unwanted behavior and drag everyone down to the cyberbully’s level of consciousness.

“The body does not work as a series of parts in isolation, but as a dynamically integrated living system,” says Marc Grossman, a doctor of optometry, licensed acupuncture physician and co-founder of Natural Eye Health, in New Paltz, New York. “The reductionist method of referring each symptom to the domain of a particular specialist, isolated from the whole person, is slowly being replaced with a complementary view of health care that may include acupuncture and other forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We are beginning to look at each person as an integrated being.”

Board-Certified Ophthalmologist and Homeopathic Doctor Edward Kondrot’s practice at Healing The Eye & Wellness Center, which he founded in Zephyrhills, Florida, embraces traditional and alternative therapies. He uses microcurrent, ozone therapy and U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved stem cells from a newborn’s umbilical cord in treating serious eye disease.

Kondrot, the author of 10 Essentials to Save Your Sight, systemically understands the eyes as windows to overall health. For instance, his perspective is founded on the fact that a balanced diet is one of the best preventive measures for maintaining eye health. Systemic disorders such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stress-related effects and nutritional deficiencies are easily determined under the scrutiny of his holistic biomicroscope.

According to science published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, chiropractic spinal manipulation may also contribute to normal vision; in one case study, 20 treatment sessions helped an individual recover the function of optic nerves and normal vision. It’s generally accepted that chiropractic adjustment realigning the spinal column allows the nervous system to function properly, reduces tension and frees up the body to better transport blood to places such as the eyes. Additionally, the second vertebra below the skull contains nerves that affect the eyes, optic nerves, auditory nerves and sinuses.

Common eye conditions generally develop so slowly that they may not present noticeable symptoms until deterioration has become severe. “Many factors can affect our eyesight, including other health problems. Having a family member with eye disease may make you genetically prone to having that condition as well, but living a healthy lifestyle may prevent the gene from being activated,” advises Kondrot.

Viewing the condition of the eyes as a reflection of whole body health means that lifestyle and diet choices play major roles. The Vision Diet and supplement program recommended in Grossman’s Natural Eye Care has been shown to reduce the intraocular pressure in the eyes of study participants by five to seven millimeters, which generally equates to 10 to 15 percent. In general, a diet high in beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and sulfur-bearing amino acids can be helpful. Foods containing such nutrients include garlic, onions, beans, spinach, celery, turnips, yellow and orange vegetables, green leafy vegetables, seaweed, apples, oranges and tomatoes.

Other dietary and lifestyle options recommended by Grossman are juicing one pint of mostly green vegetables per day and drinking eight to 10 glasses of purified water to keep eyes hydrated. Managing stress and doing palming and other eye exercises such as those at Tinyurl.com/ComputerEyeStrainExercises, as well as daily aerobic exercise of at least 20 minutes are also beneficial. Additionally, Kondrot’s use of multimodal protocols such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, homeopathy, and detoxification can be applied to reverse visual loss.

Kondrot advises that avoiding foods that trigger allergic reactions is important. “A study of 113 patients with chronic simple glaucoma showed an immediate increase in pressure in the fluid inside the eye when they were exposed to foods to which they were allergic. Take up meditation, yoga, tai chi or any other practice that helps you manage stress and relax, he advises. “Some consider glaucoma a stress-related condition.”

The best strategy for healthy eyes is to have regular eye examinations. Early detection and prompt treatment can prevent significant visual loss.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

Functional medicine physician Mark Hyman suggests that we include four to five servings of fat in our diets every day. “In the last five years, the scientific evidence has been mounting that high-fat diets outperform low-fat diets for weight loss and for revising every single indication of heart disease risk, including abnormal cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and inflammation,” he says.

In an era of too much information, the role of fats in our diet has been a victim of not enough information. Today’s turnaround in nutritional thinking acknowledges natural fats as vital to heart health and weight loss.

Heart Health Benefit

A recent meta-study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a journal of the American College of Physicians, concluded that saturated fat does not appear to increase heart disease risk, overturning almost 60 years of accepted medical thought. The researchers analyzed data from 76 studies involving more than 600,000 people and found that those that ate the most saturated, or “bad”, fat did not show a higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those that ate the least. Note that processed trans fats remain a villain, still deemed a risk to heart health, per the meta-study.

The misleading information began in the 1950s when Physiologist Ancel Keys, Ph.D., discovered a correlation between diets high in saturated fats and higher cholesterol levels. Soon the low-fat diet was born.

In 2000, further research introduced the concepts of good and bad fats. More recent analysis confirmed this finding with the refinement that saturated fats increase both types of cholesterol. However, the latest research from the journal BMJ shows that saturated fat does not increase the number of LDL, or “bad”, particles, a predictor of cardiovascular disease. Instead, it makes existing LDL particles larger, a fairly benign situation in regard to such disease.

Weight Loss Benefit

Fat doesn’t even make you fat, claims Mark Hyman, a well-known medical doctor in Lenox, Massachusetts, and author of Eat Fat, Get Thin: Why the Fat We Eat Is the Key to Sustained Weight Loss and Vibrant Health. “The theory that all calories have the same impact on your weight and metabolism remains one of the most persistent nutrition myths,” says this practitioner of functional medicine who points out that we’ve been sidetracked by wrong thinking.

“Eating fat can make you lean. Healthy cell walls made from high-quality fats are better able to metabolize insulin, which keeps blood sugar better regulated. Without proper blood sugar control, the body socks away fat for a rainy day. The right fats also increase fat burning, diminish hunger and reduce fat storage,” he notes.

Whole30, a 30-day diet revolving around clean eating, also emphasizes healthy fats. Devised in 2009 by Dallas Hartwig, a functional medicine practitioner and certified sports nutritionist, and Melissa Hartwig, a certified sport nutritionist, the program aims to reduce inflammation, detoxify the body and reset metabolism. The Salt Lake City, Utah, authors of the New York Times bestselling The Whole30 recommend healthy fats to keep us full and rev up metabolism. Recommended healthy fats include coconut milk and oil, avocados, olive oil, organic ghee (clarified butter) and raw nuts.

“Butter’s experiencing a comeback as a healthy fat as its benefits become more widely known,” says Axe. “The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in butter help the brain function properly and improve skin health.” Ghee, an ancient Indian version of butter, is lactose- and casein-free while being loaded with fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E, says Axe. These vitamins are best absorbed by the body when they’re in a fat substance and then stored in the gastrointestinal tract, keeping metabolism and digestion on track, he says. Ghee’s high level of vitamin K2, best known as a natural blood coagulator, “also helps strengthen bones, while the fatty acids found in it improve digestion and reduce inflammation.”

Healthy Levels of Fat

“If you’re active, about 40 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates, another 30 percent from protein and the other 30 percent from fat in general,” says Axe, adding that this has the added benefit of helping prevent arteriosclerosis. “Some people may consume a greater percentage of healthy fats if the goal is to become a fat burner.”

“There is no one-size-fits all approach to weight loss and health,” Hyman reminds us. “Low-carb, higher-fat diets work for most people, but for some, they may not be optimal in the long term.”

]]>Sun, 12 Feb 2017 17:52:22 -0800http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77688_should_you_and_your_family_receive_a_chiropractic_checkup_s__by_dr_jackie_stcyr_network_spinal_analysis_chiropractor.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77688_should_you_and_your_family_receive_a_chiropractic_checkup_s__by_dr_jackie_stcyr_network_spinal_analysis_chiropractor.htmlChiropractic for me and my family? Why? We don’t have back or neck pain.” If you are wondering about the answer to this question, you’ll want to read on.

As chiropractors, we often encounter those who understand the importance of regular exams for their entire family’s eyes, ears, nose, throat, hearing, and teeth, but who overlook routine family spinal check-ups. In fact, they could be the most important check-ups you and your family can receive.

As a health conscious person, you want the best for you and your family and no doubt wonder if you are all as healthy as you could be. Several factors determine everyone’s overall health. These include: diet, exercise, proper rest, emotional and spiritual support, and a properly functioning nervous system.

A major component of health is the communication between your brain and body. This vital link controls the growth, repair, and function of every tissue and organ. The spinal cord sends messages from the brain throughout the body via billions of nerves. Interference (nerve pressure or irritation) places the body in a state of disharmony. This can lead to decreased immune function and sickness.

Starting with the birthing process itself, our bodies are subjected to many spinal traumas. Even the most “natural” of births can cause stress and strain to the tiny developing spine. This initial damage can be compounded when the child develops proper head support, learns to sit up, to crawl, and to walk. During this time of rapid spinal growth, any tiny bump or fall can cause sub-lux-a-tion and unexplained health problems.

The home is the primary place where a young child receives spinal injuries. A study, conducted by the National Safety Council, discovered that nearly 50% of children fall headfirst from a high place (changing table, bed, etc.) during their first year of life. Many injuries from these falls go undetected and unfortunately, although no immediate symptoms may appear, spinal health can be compromised.

Ear infections, asthma, colic, ADD/hyperactivity, bedwetting, learning disorders, and other health problems result from nervous system interference called the vertebral subluxation complex. Doctors of Chiropractic are the only healthcare professionals trained in the detection and correction of this problem.

School is the most common place for accidents to occur for five to eighteen year olds. A study from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner, revealed that almost a quarter of a million children under the age of 15 were treated for injuries related to playground equipment. The majority of these accidents are falls, and approximately 50% of all falls result in head and neck trauma. Bicycles are also a source of childhood trauma. Over 50,000 children per year are treated for head (not wearing a helmet) and neck trauma.

Common childhood activities including surfing, skate boarding, water slides, horseback riding, and roller-skating are often associated with falls that can cause the spinal vertebrae to lose their normal motion and position. The delicate nerve tissue housed in these bones can be damaged, impairing the brain’s ability to control the associated tissues and organs.

Children, adults and the elderly can all benefit from regular wellness care visits to a Doctor of Chiropractic. With appropriate chiropractic care, both old and new spinal problems can be located and corrected, restoring normal spinal and nervous system function. It’s never too late to gain a healthier spine!

Many adult spinal problems actually began in childhood. If left uncorrected, childhood spinal problems may lead to more serious conditions later in life: “As the trunk is bent, so grows the tree.”

Without a properly functioning spine and nervous system, true health is impossible to achieve. Maintaining your family’s spinal health is one of the greatest gifts you can provide for all of you. For this reason, families are receiving routine periodic chiropractic spinal check-ups.

Today, many progressive consumers are choosing conservative chiropractic care, such as Network Spinal Analysis, to help maximize their own natural healing. Parents of children who receive regular chiropractic care often report that their kids seem healthier than other children; they get fewer colds and other childhood diseases. Adults and the elderly experiencing regular Network Care report improvement in all areas of life including decreased physical symptoms, more emotional and mental peace and overall improved quality of life.

The Network approach to health is safe and effective for all ages. For these reasons and more, your Network Spinal Analysis Chiropractor may be your best family doctor! Many people feel encouraged to have a Network Chiropractor as part of their health professionals network.

Dr. Jackie St.Cyr has been a Board Certified Doctor of Chiropractic since 1995 and holds postgraduate education and certification in Network Spinal Analysis and Somato Respiratory Integration. Her practice and the INNATE CHIROPRACTIC Healing Arts Center is located at 230 Westcott St, Ste 220 in Houston, TX. For more information call 713-521-2104 or visit Dr. Jackie online at www.n8chiro.com

A study from Harvard Medical School, in Boston, has found that tai chi, a low-impact exercise and movement meditation, can help relieve chronic neck pain. Researchers divided 14 participants, 18 years or older, with ongoing neck pain into three randomized groups. One received 12 weeks of tai chi instruction, one performed group neck exercises and one received no treatment.

“The study results showed that 12 weeks of tai chi was more effective than no treatment for benefiting pain levels, disability, quality of life and postural control in persons with chronic neck pain,” explains Peter M. Wayne, Ph.D., co-author of the study. Wayne is also the founder of the Tree of Life Tai Chi Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. The group neck exercise subjects experienced similar results to the tai chi group, suggesting that the two paths are equally effective.

Researchers from the Mount Sinai Medical Center, in Miami Beach, concluded in a 2016 review of research that chelation therapy using agents such as EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) can significantly reduce risk of cardiovascular events.

The review highlighted research showing that heavy metals such as cadmium have been linked with increased cardiovascular disease risk and chelation therapy has been shown to effectively remove heavy metals from the body.

Of particular interest was a study that specifically tested the effectiveness of chelation therapy on reducing cardiovascular events. The randomized, double-blind study involved 1,708 patients ages 50 and up that had experienced a heart attack at least six weeks prior. Half were given 40 infusions of a 500 milliliter chelation solution with EDTA. The other half received a placebo.

Researchers measured deaths, heart attacks and strokes, along with other heart conditions and subsequent hospitalization for an average period of 55 months. They found that the chelation therapy reduced heart attacks and strokes by 23 percent and reduced hospitalization for heart attacks by 28 percent.

Researchers discussed the theory that an accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in the body is responsible for some cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer’s patients. Studies have shown that sage can protect mice against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity, thus helping to preserve cognition.

The researchers also highlighted acetylcholine (ACh), a neurotransmitter believed to play an important role in attention, learning, memory and motivation. ACh enzyme inhibitors help prevent alterations in ACh, preserving these functions. Vitro and animal studies show that some species of salvia are effective ACh enzyme inhibitors.

In addition, animal studies have shown that sage extracts can reduce depression and anxiety. Both of these conditions can contribute to a decrease in cognitive function.

Further research is needed to determine the extent of the effect and safe dosage.

A study from the University of Eastern Finland, in Kuopio, has found that less active boys perform worse in reading and arithmetic classes than their more active counterparts. Researchers studied 89 boys and 69 girls ages 6 to 8 and measured their sedentary time and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time using a heart rate monitor, movement sensors and body fat percentages. The subjects’ arithmetic and reading skills were calculated using standardized test scores.

Comparing the date, the researchers found that higher levels of MVPA were associated with higher reading fluency in grade one and that lower reading levels were associated with more sedentary time in grades one through three.

A significantly stronger correlation was discovered when male subjects were the focus. Sedentary boys that spent less time engaged in MVPA displayed consistently poorer scores in both reading fluency and comprehension than their peers. For girls, more sedentary time was associated with better arithmetic scores.

Ruopeng An, Ph.D., a kinesiology and community health professor at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, studied the hydration and dietary habits of more than 18,300 American adults and found that drinking more water each day can impact the overall calories and nutritional value of food consumed.

Reviewing data from four waves of the National Center for Health Statistics National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in which participants were asked to recall their food and drink intake during two non-consecutive days, An determined the percentage of plain water drunk by each person. He found an association between a one-percent increase in the subjects’ daily intake of plain water and an 8.6-calorie reduction in food intake. An also discovered a slight reduction in foods high in fat, sugar, sodium and cholesterol with the change.

Participants that increased their plain water consumption by one to three cups reduced their calorie intake by 68 to 205 calories per day. The same increase in water correlated with a daily reduction in sodium intake by 78 to 235 milligrams, five to 18 grams less sugar and seven to 21 milligrams less cholesterol.

Barefoot running has become a popular activity for athletes, and with the right training, can be a helpful tool for many runners. A recent study from the University of Jaén, in Spain, confirms the benefits of barefoot running. Researchers set out to determine what types of changes a 12-week program of barefoot running would produce in foot strike patterns, inversion, eversion and foot rotation.

Thirty-nine recreational athletes with no experience in barefoot running participated. Twenty formed the experimental group, with 19 serving as a control group. Researchers determined each runner’s low, high and comfortable running speed and conducted pre- and post-running tests using cameras to document foot strike patterns. The experimental group’s training consisted of a progressive increase in the volume and frequency of barefoot running, while those in the control group performed the same progressive running program with their shoes on.

The experimental group showed significant changes in foot strike pattern, with a tendency toward a mid-foot strike at all speeds. They also displayed changes to foot rotation and inversion toward a more centered strike at the lower speed, supporting the notion that progressive barefoot training can help athletes trying to change their foot pattern to a mid- or front-foot strike.

“I’ve run in cities, rural areas and suburbs. I’ve run while deployed to military bases in the Middle East, in cities on four continents, in blazing heat and winter snowstorms,” says Maria Cicio, a licensed professional counselor candidate and marathoner in Grove, Oklahoma. “I’ve been running regularly for 25 years, mostly injury-free, and have found what works best for me.”

For beginners, Cicio recommends starting with a 5K race. “There are a hundred reasons why a full marathon would not be fun for a beginner, but trail running, charity races and 5K road races are perfect,” she says.

Cicio attests the physical health benefits come from the training and preparation more than from the race itself. “You can run for many years before deciding to run an official race, in which case you’ll probably have already experienced increased cardiovascular health, improved muscle tone and strength.

“Running your first race can focus your running and turn it into training. You might increase your daily or weekly mileage, depending on the planned length of the race, or add some speed work to your regular running routine. When I’m training for a race, I’m more in tune with what my body needs; I also sleep better,” she says.

“The mental benefits are what keep many of us running, even after the physical ones seem to plateau,” advises Cicio. “Running means regular exercise, so it can improve our general mood. While numerous studies show this to be true, the best evidence comes from runners themselves.”

Almost everyone has heard of a runner’s high, even if we haven’t experienced it ourselves. It’s long been accepted that endorphins released during exercise create a feeling of euphoria after a satisfying workout. Recent research on mice by the Central Institute of Mental Health at the University of Heidelberg Medical School, in Germany, suggests that it might be natural endocannabinoids that lighten our mood and contribute to the high.

Meditation master Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, in Halifax, Canada, teaches an online course, The Art of Mindful Running. He points out that running, or doing any physical activity, with a meditative state can deepen, train and enhance the mind. “Within 20 to 30 minutes, you have an opportunity to work with your mind. Instead of just spacing out or trying to get exercise, you can actually say, ‘I am going to be present, I am going to relate to my breathing and my movement a little bit.,’” says Mipham. “This is healthy both for the mind and the body.”

Those looking for an alternative to running on concrete and asphalt find that trail running ups the fun factor while nature nurtures us. “While I’d always loved running races, the roads rarely changed. Even the same trail tends to change daily, with a new puddle or a log to jump or crawl over, or a new offshoot. The natural running landscape is full of surprises,” says Nikki Partridge, an avid trail runner, American College of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer and Stott Pilates instructor in Auburn, California.

“Trail running healed me,” says Partridge. “I always had some injury from running; tendonitis, sprained ankles, runner’s knee, pulled hamstrings, illiotibial band syndrome, shin splints or plantar fasciitis. I became a walking encyclopedia on injury and recovery. But the trails saved me. I no longer pronated when I ran, I had no more tendonitis from running on canting sidewalks—even my knee pain disappeared—my balance improved and my body was happy.”

When winding down after a race, carve out ample time for recovery and reflection. “I always ask myself what I liked about how it was organized, course conditions, support staff and the after-party, and then look for another race that fits my preferences,” says Cicio. “Consider taking a vacation around a particular race that interests you or find a local road race the next time you travel. For a modest fee, you get to run a race and typically luck into a T-shirt, food and party camaraderie.”

The running world can open our eyes to new places, good people and greater self-awareness, along with physical fitness. Spring is a good time to lace up our shoes and begin the expansive journey.

Aimee Hughes, a freelance writer in Kansas City, MO, is a doctor of naturopathy and senior staff writer for LongevityTimes online.. Connect@ Aimee@LongevityTimes.com

Cole has learned a lot about the natural lives of chickens. They need 14 hours of sunlight to produce eggs and lay about one per day. Chickens must be protected from predators, locked up at night in their coop for optimal well-being and let out in the morning to roam. Here are some tips for buying the freshest, most delicious and humanely raised chicken eggs.

How to Read an Egg Carton

Deciphering the language on an egg carton is a first step. Diet affects flavor. “Eggs from pasture-raised chickens allowed to roam—eating grass, worms and bugs in the backyard or a pasture will look and taste better than eggs from chickens limited to an inside space eating chicken feed,” says Cole. “Pasture-raised eggs will have a fresh herbaceous, or grassy, flavor with an ‘egg-ier’ essence.”

“USDA Organic” is a U.S. Department of Agriculture label confirming that the food the chicken ate was certified organic. “Non-GMO” indicates a diet free of genetically modified ingredients. “Free-range”, another USDA label, means the chicken had continuing access to the outdoors. “Pasture-raised” assures that the chicken roamed outdoors daily, eating what they wanted; the ideal scenario.

“Cage-free” is a USDA-regulated designation ensuring that the chickens were allowed to roam freely about within their building to get food and water. “Natural” has no real meaning says Douglass; the term invokes no USDA regulation and nothing about actual farming practices. “Certified Humane” or “Animal Welfare Approved” means that each free-range hen has at least two square feet of outdoor space; it’s the most desirable designation, says Douglass.

When farmers want to raise egg-laying chickens, they need to provide physical conditions similar to those Cole affords, but on a larger and more efficient scale, usually without the love. In regions where 14 hours of daylight are not a given, farmers use artificial lighting. When snow is too deep for the birds to venture out and it’s too cold for bug life, farmers supply indoor coops and feed. How well and humanely they do this is up to consumers to find out.

Egg Nutrition

Eating one egg a day, or moderate consumption, will not raise cholesterol levels in healthy adults, concludes a 2012 review in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. While egg yolks contain cholesterol, they also possess nutrients that help lower the risk for heart disease, including protein, vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin and folate, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. A study by Kansas State University researchers published in the 2001 Journal of Nutrition also found that phosphatidylcholine, another substance in eggs, can decrease the amount of cholesterol the body absorbs from them.

Plus, eggs are great sources of micronutrients and antioxidants, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered and licensed dietitian and wellness manager for Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute, in Ohio. “I’ve always been a huge proponent for eggs. As lean sources of protein, they help us stay full, are easy to prepare and can be part of a healthy eating regime because they’re packed with free-radical- and inflammation-fighting antioxidants.” Kirkpatrick adds, “Eggs also help protect eyes. Their nutrient-rich yolks, like leafy green vegetables, are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids studies have repeatedly shown help protect against macular degeneration.”

Ideally, all chickens would be treated like Cole’s “girls.” For now, the best most of us can do is choose “Pasture-Raised,” “Organic” and “Certified Humane”. Getting to know more about the farmers that produce our eggs is even better.

Enzymes are among the most commonly used supplements for cats and dogs because they are widely beneficial. They support digestive health and enhance nutrient absorption, as well as reduce inflammation and boost overall wellness.

A nutrition school adage states, “If you have a question on your exam and don’t know the answer, put down ‘enzymes’ and you’ll likely be correct.” The point is that enzymes made by the body for specific functions are essential to life because they affect nearly every physical or biological process.

Enzymes help normal, healthy pets use nutrients and support the righting of gastrointestinal disorders, whether involving simple vomiting, diarrhea, chronic or complete constipation, anal sac disorders or inflammatory bowel disease, regardless of cause. Because sick pets often suffer from reduced appetite and impaired digestion, enzyme supplements are often added to a dietetic regimen to improve their nutritional status.

Helpful enzymes include proteases, carbohydrases (like amylase) and lipases that break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats, respectively. Digestive enzymes are highly specific both to the type of food they act upon and the conditions under which they work. They can be derived from pancreatic, plant or microbial sources (bacteria or fungi).

While pancreatic enzymes activate mainly in the small intestines (being inactive in the stomach’s lower pH environment), plant and microbial enzymes begin digesting foods in the stomach immediately after ingestion and likely even on the food being prepared, if the enzymes are added several minutes before they are eaten. Enzymes from microbial and plant origins have a broader spectrum of activity because they are stable and active through a wide pH range of 3.0 to 8.0.

Enzymes may be helpful for pets with inflammatory conditions, including arthritis, dermatitis, allergies, asthma and cancer. In such cases, they should not be administered with food, because otherwise they will be “used up” before the pet digests the food.

It’s also possible to use enzyme supplementation to reduce excessive shedding because enzyme supplementation is widely recognized to increase the absorption of nutrients, some possibly involved in controlling hair growth. Some of these nutrients may be used in thyroid hormone synthesis, which can positively affect hair growth and reduce shedding.

A novel use for enzymes is to help pets practicing coprophagia, or the eating of their own or another animal’s feces. Adding the proper enzymes to the diet is believed to curb this problem, which could result from a nutrient deficiency caused by incomplete digestion and absorption. For pets with behavioral coprophagia, enzyme supplementation is unlikely to help the problem but will still benefit the pet’s overall health.

The recommended dose by breed and weight is based upon experience, the label of a specific product and directions provided by the family veterinarian. Using enzymes according to a professional’s advice is safe, with rare to nonexistent side effects. Talk to the pet’s doctor about the best enzyme products to address individual needs and keep them healthy.

Shawn Messonnier, a doctor of veterinary medicine practicing in Plano, TX, is the author of The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats and Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets, which cite pertinent, supporting studies. For more information, visit PetCareNaturally.com.

Specialty certificate programs representing advanced education and training within a modality qualified as therapeutic massage and bodywork are benefitting today’s massage therapists and their clients. Often considered as requirements for specific populations such as seniors, athletes, infants and cancer patients and survivors, some outcome-based specialty modalities are referred to as “medical massage”.

The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork is a nonprofit organization providing an accredited, voluntary certification beyond entry-level state licensure. It also approves continuing education providers that teach specialty techniques, including integrative health care, sports massage and military veteran massage. The result is therapies operating according to a national standard of excellence requisite for working in collaboration with doctors, chiropractors, wellness centers, retirement care communities and other medical settings.

To maintain their status, therapists must complete 24 hours of continuing education and 100 hours of work experience, and pass a criminal background check every two years. Approved providers, such as Sharon Puszko, Ph.D., who in 2000 founded the Daybreak Geriatric Massage Institute, in Indianapolis, offers beginning and advanced weekend workshops for therapists on the complexities of physiological changes and technical skills required to work with geriatric or senior clients. She works out of three offices located in upscale retirement communities and teaches approved continuing education curricula throughout the U.S. as well as internationally.

“Although the skills I teach are not taught in massage school, they are in demand at independent and assisted living facilities where massage is considered a vital aspect of health care,” says Puszko. “Older Americans represent the greatest challenge to massage therapists. For elderly residents, stretching and pulling on delicate skin and joints, as well as pushing one’s elbow into gluteus maximus muscles, are unacceptable approaches.” She explains that they might be called upon for a range of needs from helping prepare a 70-year-old marathoner for a race to reducing the stress of an exhausted hospice patient.

Geri Ruane is one of four founding directors of Oncology Massage Alliance, in Austin, Texas. She manages operations for the nonprofit that was created in 2011 to help therapists that volunteer to administer complimentary hand and foot massage therapy to cancer patients and caregivers in chemotherapy infusion rooms and prior to radiation treatment. The alliance offers financial assistance to licensed massage therapists for advanced training through approved third-party oncology massage classes and provides hands-on experience with cancer patients.

Ruane defines the essential aspects of an oncology massage therapist’s (OMT) skill set. “A properly trained therapist has an informed understanding of the disease itself and the many ways it can affect the human body; the side effects of cancer treatments, such as medications, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation; and the ability to modify massage techniques in order to adapt accordingly. Our main purpose is to reduce stress and provide emotional support for cancer patients and caregivers in radiation and infusion rooms.”

For example, an OMT will ask a patient about their cancer treatment history, including particulars of related individual health issues, prior to the massage. Hospitals in 35 states and Washington, D.C., now offer massage therapy to individuals during cancer treatment. MK Brennan, president of the Society for Oncology Massage created in 2007, in Toledo, Ohio is a registered nurse with a longtime practice in Charlotte, North Carolina. Brennan observes, “In nursing school, I was taught how to give a back rub, an aspect of patient care once provided by all nurses, but no longer part of a nurse’s education. It now appears that there could be a resurgence of interest in offering massage therapy in hospitals that would encompass more medical aspects and require modified techniques for different patient populations.”

In addition to oncology and geriatric massage, other select massage therapy modalities such as orthopedic, bodywork, Asian techniques and those related to pregnancy, infant and child healthcare as well as other special needs require advanced education and training.

Before making an appointment with a massage therapist/bodyworker for a specific type of help, inquire about their knowledge, experience, training and continuing education. Ask about additional credentials above entry-level core education specific to special needs.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

Youth worldwide are engaging in innovative ways to activate their communities and combat ocean pollution.

Pédrisson and Emmanuelson Bernard, of Carrefour, Haiti, won the 2016 Millennium Oceans Prize for a win-win solution to urban waste, ocean pollution and unemployment. During Haiti’s rainy season, the city’s streets carry trash to the sea. The brothers developed a waste management system and mobilized community youth to help keep the streets clean, in turn protecting the waters upon which the island community depends.

Students from Borrisoleigh, Ireland, won the EurOcean Foundation’s European Mario Ruivo Prize for a marine trash-fighting solution called Bags with Tags, in December. Laura Hutchinson and Antoinette Atik designed stylish totes to curb the use of plastic bags, including magnetic tags for easier retrieval from waterways; they worked with local stores to distribute them at points of sale.

In another 2016 Professor Mário Ruivo Prize finalist effort, students from the island of Malta developed a way to keep waste from falling out of the usually open trash bins serving local ferries that transport 4 million passengers annually by collaborating with town officials to place three marine-friendly containers near the ferry departure point.

Everyone has a part to play in keeping oceans clean and healthy. Here are some ways concerned individuals of all ages can help.

Do away with disposable plastics. Use reusable alternatives to single-use plastics such as plastic bags, water bottles, to-go containers, takeaway cups and straws, all of which clog the oceans and endanger 600 aquatic species due to ingestion or entanglement.

Green what drains. Anything that washes down the drain can end up in waterways. Avoid dumping chemicals like paint, oil and solvents and opt for non-toxic cleaning products like DIY cleaners made from vinegar and baking soda, which are safe for people and the seas.

Eat smart. Per a 2016 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report, nearly a third of commercial fish stocks are now fished at dangerously unsustainable levels. Find best choices on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s downloadable sustainable seafood guide and app at SeafoodWatch.org when dining or shopping, and ask seafood eateries and fish counters to carry ocean-friendly selections.

Reduce fertilizers. Fertilizer runoff from gardens and commercial agriculture eventually end up in oceans, leading to “dead zones” with low levels of oxygen that kill aquatic life.

Cut energy use. Carbon dioxide from fossil fuel consumption is turning oceans acidic, which is particularly harmful to coral reefs. Use energy-efficient appliances and vehicles, opt for renewable energy plans from local utilities and bike, walk and take public transit.

Earth’s oceans shelter more than a million species, employ millions of people and feed billions more. Their complex ecosystems increasingly face critical challenges, including acidification, overfishing and pollution. Inspiring us all, youths nationwide are stepping up with bold, creative actions benefiting present and future generations to show us how we too, can do our part.

Sean Russell, 24, of Englewood, Florida, was exposed to ocean wonders in junior marine conservation summer camps and 4-H programs. Volunteering with Mote Marine Laboratory’s dolphin research program, in Sarasota, Russell was struck by how improperly discarded fishing line entangled and killed dolphins and other wildlife. At 16, he launched the Stow It—Don’t Throw It Project to promote portable receptacles made from repurposed tennis ball containers for anglers to stash used fishing line for later safe disposal on shore. More than 21,000 containers have been distributed nationwide to date.

While earning a bachelor’s degree in biology, Russell launched the Youth Ocean Conservation Summit to harness youth enthusiasm for related issues. Six summits have convened hundreds of concerned young change-makers and adult professionals. “Young people learn about current threats to marine life and become inspired by peers sharing ideas and successes,” says Russell. Planning and skill-building sessions fuel action, often assisted by microgrants to help kick-start community projects.

Russell is also involved with the nonprofit EarthEcho International, which activates young leaders through peer-to-peer networks. One recent campaign, 3T4E, encouraged youth worldwide to pick up three pieces of trash on November 1 and document their efforts. Nearly 2 million social media impressions later, they’ve reached youth in 24 states, in 19 countries and on six continents, according to Executive Director Mia DeMezza.

Founded by siblings Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau, the Washington, D.C., EarthEcho shares service learning stories that record steps young people are taking to mitigate local waterway issues. In a virtual classroom field trip series, they can explore issues such as oceanic dead zones and acidification through dynamic multimedia presentations. “These young people are going to inherit the problems we’ve created, and deserve a seat at the table,” says DeMezza.

Given the opportunity, youth can play a key role in conservation, research and policy making for Earth’s oceans. “I look at youth not as leaders of the future, but leaders of today,” says Russell.

Daniela Fernandez, 23, is one of the youth leaders working to bridge the generational divide on ocean conservation issues. An undergraduate at Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C., she was invited to a 2013 United Nations (UN) meeting to address the state of the world’s oceans. When she inquired if they had social media outlets to share their discussions, she discovered they did not. The 2016 Christopher Benchley Ocean Award winner relates, “I returned to campus with a sense of urgency about the issues I learned about, which led me to start a nonprofit to connect Millennials with the oceans.”

The resulting Sustainable Oceans Alliance (SOA) has since hosted three global ocean summits with participants from more than 30 colleges and universities, learning directly from leaders in government, science, business and policy. Summit-watch parties at embassies around the world enabled Millennials to submit questions and comments online. Consequently, Secretary of State John Kerry’s office partnered with SOA to incorporate a youth component in the state department’s 2016 Our Ocean Conference.

The SOA, recognized by the United Nations as a game-changing initiative, has catalyzed 30 chapters on U.S. campuses, with plans to expand to Britain, Chile and Spain. Actionable steps include advocating for college curricula on ocean health. Already, the alliance has helped sway global policy, gathering 30,000 signatures petitioning that ocean conservation be included in UN sustainable development goals. It also mobilized youth advocating for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, America’s first marine monument (measuring a bit larger than Yellowstone National Park), off Cape Cod, created by President Obama in 2016.

Russell and Fernandez agree that rallying around solutions is key to engaging youth and adults alike. “You can talk about the problems all day long, but it’s solutions that inspire people to take action,” says Russell.

Fernandez adds, “Often, people feel helpless in the face of big issues, but if you give them a simple way to help, they will get behind it.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, in Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

It was standing inside Timpanogos Cave (a national monument) as an eight-year-old child that marked me. Hiking to the entrance of the cave with our church group we were ushered in by a park ranger. Immediately, the cool air locked inside the mountain enveloped us and we wore it as loose clothing. Immense stalactites and stalagmites hung down from the ceiling and rose up from the floor, declaring themselves teeth. We were inside the gaping mouth of an animal and we were careful not to disturb the beast, traversing the cave on a narrow constructed walkway above the floor so as not to disturb its fragility. But it was the Great Heart of Timpanogos Cave that captured my attention.

When everyone else left the charismatic form, I stayed. I needed more time to be closer to it, to watch its red-orange aura pulsating in the cavernous space of shadows. I wanted to touch the heart, run the palms of my hands on its side, believing that if I did, I could better understand my own heart, which was invisible to me. I was only inches away, wondering whether it would be cold or hot to the touch. It looked like ice, but it registered as fire.

Suddenly, I heard the heavy door slam and darkness clamp down. The group left without me. I was forgotten—alone—locked inside the cave. I waved my hand in front of my face. Nothing. I was held in a darkness so deep that my eyes seemed shut even though they were open. All I could hear was the sound of water dripping and the beating heart of the mountain.

I don’t know how long I stood inside Timpanogos Cave before our church leader realized I was missing, but it was long enough to have experienced how fear moves out of panic toward wonder. Inside the cave, I knew I would be found. What I didn’t know was what would find me— the spirit of Timpanogos.

To this day, my spiritual life is found inside the heart of the wild. I do not fear it, I court it. When I am away, I anticipate my return, needing to touch stone, rock, water, the trunks of trees, the sway of grasses, the barbs of a feather, the fur left behind by a shedding bison.

Wallace Stegner, a mentor of mine, wrote: “If we preserved as parks only those places that have no economic possibilities, we would have no parks. And in the decades to come, it will not be only the buffalo and the trumpeter swan that need sanctuaries. Our own species is going to need them too. It needs them now.”

Adapted excerpt from Hour of Land by Terry Tempest Williams, a contemplative manifesto advocating for America’s national parks. Learn more at CoyoteClan.com/index.html.

Leading author and environment advocate Tony Juniper has been an Earth champion for three decades, imploring humanity to urgently understand that we need nature to thrive. His recently reissued book What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? How Money Really Does Grow on Trees, first published in 2013, won the Independent Publishers Living Now gold medal. It warns about the severe environmental cost of poor land planning; informs how birds, coral reefs, rain forests and other flora and fauna help preserve and sustain our quality of life; pushes for new recycling laws; and seeks to make children early enthusiasts.

Formerly executive editor of Friends of the Earth, he is president of the Wildlife Trust, in Great Britain, teaching faculty of the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, and sustainability advisor to Prince Charles, a noted conservationist.

Why do you believe that economic growth and conservation can coexist?

We are measuring economic growth crudely with no sense of quality. A country can have 2 percent gross domestic product growth and at low environmental cost, whereas another measuring similar growth might be both causing massive environmental destruction and concentrating the generated wealth among small numbers of people.

We need to grow economies in ways that protect the environmental services that create opportunities for growth in the first place. It’s a major challenge for a world hell-bent on simplistic, crude measures of economic performance.

In the Ivory Coast, where I recently visited, many poor rural people grow cocoa. One way to expand its economy is to produce more cocoa at the expense of tropical rain forests, which ultimately destroys the economy because forests are a major source of rainfall. Extended droughts caused by deforestation reveal that kind of growth is self-defeating. We need a more sophisticated approach, with the economy becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of ecology, not the other way around.

Are true eco-cities and eco-suburbs feasible?

We can design much more livable areas for the protection and health of wildlife, nature and residents. Nature also has a major bearing on the costs of a country’s healthcare system. A number of population level studies, including from the Netherlands, reveal how people with access to green space feel better and experience higher levels of well-being, especially in mental and psychological health. Many Western countries are seeing increased incidences of depression, anxiety and other psychological problems that can be reduced through greater access to open areas, green spaces and wildlife.

We can expect massive increases in urban areas worldwide in the next 40 years. There’s an opportunity now to plan in integral ways to make these places better for everyone. Failing to integrate nature into them will ramp up the public health costs later on.

What can citizens do to strengthen U.S. environmental policies?

First, every election has candidates we can vote for that are more or less knowledgeable and clued into environmental issues.

Second, we can exercise power in our purchasing choices. Some companies take leadership positions on environmental and sustainability issues; others don’t. With some research, shoppers can find the best companies to patronize, like those that prioritize low-carbon emissions, resource efficiencies and environmental protection policies. Many of them are advocating for more sensible, long-term environmental policies.

In the U.S., one of the biggest pushbacks to the new administration will be from progressive companies that know the future has to be green; buying from these businesses strengthens their role and influence.

Third, we can add to the people’s collective voice by joining campaigns and backing organizations like the National Audubon Society, Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace and Sierra Club.

Why do you believe it’s important to instill basic ecological principles in youngsters?

In the future, if fewer people understand the implications of climate change, ecosystem degradation, loss of wild animals and rampant toxic pollution, it’ll be even harder to embed adequate responses. The next generation should know how this planet works. Our world doesn’t succeed just on the basis of technology. It’s being run on microorganisms, the actions of forests, seas, soil and everything in the natural world. People that don’t know this can do a lot of damage.

When more young people know the basics, it’s more likely they’ll behave in ways that reflect them. Progressive urbanization, with ever fewer people having direct experience of how nature works, is already an issue, so investing in our youth now will pay dividends in their future.

Randy Kambic is a freelance writer and editor in Estero, FL, and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings.

Google’s Nest Learning Thermostat replaces the old thermostat and immediately starts saving energy and money. Partnered with a smartphone, custom settings will lower the temperature at night, warm up the house upon waking and reduce heating or cooling swings when owners are away. On average, people save 10 to 12 percent on heating bills and 15 percent on cooling bills according to Energy Trust of Oregon reserach, with the device often paying for itself in less than two years.

Blueair Purifier

Leveraging a mix of filters, ionizers and fans, the Blueair HEPASilent air purification system captures 99.97 percent of particles down to 0.1 micron. A range of sizes are available to suit different spaces.

Haiku Light

The Haiku Light fixture from Big Ass Solutions brightens when someone enters a room and turns off when it detects the absence of movement. The light-emitting diode (LED) fixture produces 50 percent more light than a typical 15-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL).

Natufia

The Natufia Kitchen Garden is a fully automated vertical garden that easily fits into a kitchen area. Natufia manages the non-GMO, certified organic seed germination, watering, nutrient needs, humidity control and light cycles, freeing the gardener to simply pick and savor year-round fresh produce. While pricey, it provides an option for urbanites that both lack outside growing space and prioritize convenient healthy eating.

Smart Robot

This handy droid vacuums up dust mites, allergens, pet hair and dirt. iRobot’s Roomba 880 detects debris, maneuvers around most furniture and curtains, features a high-efficiency particulate air filter to suck up the small stuff, works on a variety of surfaces and automatically plugs itself in to recharge.

Self-Cleaning Toilets

The bowl of Toto’s MH wall-hung, high-efficiency toilet with powerful 3D dual flushing is coated with a nanotechnology glaze that seals the porcelain with an ionized barrier; its non-porous surface repels visible and invisible waste. The company’s smart toilet model also cleans itself.

]]>Sun, 12 Feb 2017 12:24:10 -0800http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77668_the_bradley_method.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77668_the_bradley_method.htmlTania Nuezca has been teaching Bradley Method® partner-coached natural childbirth for four years and currently teaches classes at her home in Humble and at the Cherry Blossom Yoga Studio in Champions. This is a 12-week course which covers everything from nutrition to changes in pregnancy to labor, delivery and post-partem. Women learn about their options and their partners learn how to support them through the entire process. The main focus for the mother is learning how to relax mentally and emotionally. Knowing what to expect, that labor is hard work but that you have the tools: different postures and techniques, and a supportive partner-coach is what the Bradley Method® is all about. If this sounds like an option you’d like to explore further, go to her websites or Facebook page or call for more information.

Tania Nuezca, AAHCC, SpB trained

The Bradley Method® Instructor

BradleyBirth.com/tanianuezca

DoulaMatch.net/profile/13244/tania-nuezca

Facebook.com/TaniaNuezcaBradleyTeacher

832-265-9779

]]>Sun, 12 Feb 2017 12:17:08 -0800http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77427_ecofriendly_home_building__innovations_boost_energy_efficiency__by_john_d_ivanko_and_liam_kivirist.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77427_ecofriendly_home_building__innovations_boost_energy_efficiency__by_john_d_ivanko_and_liam_kivirist.htmlSmart, innovative, technological breakthroughs are making buildings more energy-efficient, healthier to live in and highly attuned to our connected world.

“Homeowners continue to be interested in green building options because they help foster a healthier, more comfortable and affordable home—and it’s good for the environment,” says Dan Chiras, Ph.D., of Gerald, Missouri, founding director of the Evergreen Institute and author of The Homeowner’s Guide to Renewable Energy.

Panel Insulation

“Structural insulated panels in walls, roofs and floors dramatically reduce air leakage and heat loss through thermal bridging, or heat conduction through framing materials, facilitating a more energy-efficient home that can maintain comfortable temperatures with lower fuel bills than a conventionally built home,” advises Chiras. Find manufacturers via the Structural Insulated Panel Association at sips.org.

“Many solar energy users want to monitor their system using their computer, tablet or smartphone through advances in energy software,” says Allison Lindquist, with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), which hosts the Annual Energy Fair and sustainable living event every June in Custer, Wisconsin. “One highlight last year was PacketFlux Technologies’ SiteMonitor.”

“When a homeowner views their energy monitoring data, they quickly begin seeing the correlation between their energy consumption and production,” adds Leon Dulak, the MREA site manager. “The direct correlation drives them to change how they live and use energy.”

Energy Storage

Tesla Motors does more than produce high-end electric cars and solar shingles. The company is also on the cutting edge of future energy storage. Tesla’s new, compact Powerwall 2 battery system, complete with inverter, can power an average two-bedroom home for 24 hours.

Chiras says, “Utilities throughout the nation are cracking down with special fees on solar-home owners that occasionally pull electricity from the grid. I think more people are going to opt to go off-grid or install a Tesla battery to provide nighttime power to preempt this. It’s easier to maintain than a standard lead-acid battery, and should last as long. When its useful life is over, the homeowner returns it to the company.”

“Saltwater-based batteries for homeowners are coming up,” observes Clay Sterling, assistant professor of electrical technology at Kankakee Community College, in Kankakee, Illinois. “The batteries from Aquion Energy are non-toxic, safe and recyclable.” Their Aspen series of aqueous hybrid ion batteries contain neither heavy metals nor toxic chemicals and are non-flammable and non-explosive, adding to their safety.

Home Plans

Building green gets easier with green home plans. The protoype, super-insulated, 970-square-foot NewenHouse sustainable home in Viroqua, Wisconsin, is about 50 percent smaller and more than 80 percent more energy efficient than the average American home. The plans-and-services package for the Passive House-certified NewenHouse home features double walls for insulation and a super-efficient heat recovery ventilator. Four different home plans are available for houses under 1,000-square feet.

John D. Ivanko is co-author of ECOpreneuring. Liam Kivirist captures the latest technology news on TechSocket.net.

It costs slightly more on a monthly mortgage to build a home that costs far less per month to operate.

“Water-saving gardens use less of this precious resource through appropriate plant choices, rain-conserving features, employing berming and terracing to slow runoff, water-permeable hardscaping and smart irrigation practices,” says Pam Penick, author of The Water-Saving Garden. “Regardless of where you live, saving water is a priority for everyone. Drought is a growing problem in the Southwest and West, but also affects the Midwest, Southeast and even New England.”

“Rain gardens help absorb, retain and use rainfall, preventing it from draining into the sewer,” agrees Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, with Colorado’s Denver Botanic Gardens. “Rain barrels collect water from gutters and downspouts so there’s more control in time and method of distribution, including perhaps drip irrigation.”

According to the Groundwater Foundation, in Lincoln, Nebraska, rain gardens can remove up to 90 percent of nutrients and chemicals and up to 80 percent of sediments from rainwater runoff. Compared to a conventional lawn, they allow 30 percent more water to soak into the ground.

A kitchen garden represented by any kind of edible landscaping replaces some turf grass with produce. Carefully designed and maintained, it can be as attractive as any other garden space. “According to GardenResearch.com, 30 million U.S. households, about 25 percent, participated in vegetable gardening in 2015,” reports Dave Whitinger, executive director of the National Gardening Association, owned by Dash Works in Jacksonville, Texas.

“To integrate edibles into a landscape, first assess the locations of sunny and shady spots,” says Charlie Nardozzi. “Then, identify plants suited to the growing conditions that will fit in those areas. Mix in edibles with flowers, shrubs and groundcovers to keep the yard beautiful.” For urban areas, he recommends raised beds and containers as a good way to integrate edibles, bringing in clean soil and moving containers to the sunniest spots in the yard.

“We have 3,000 raised beds in Milwaukee,” says Gretchen Mead, executive director of the Victory Garden Initiative, which helps install edible landscapes. “We went from about 35 new kitchen gardens eight years ago to more than 500 each year now.”

The easy-to-build raised beds go on top of or in place of turf lawns. For Midwestern residents, Mead recommends beginning with six crops that can be started as transplants, like tomatoes or broccoli, and then growing a couple of plants from seed, like zucchini or green beans.

“Traditional turf lawns are an ecological nightmare,” says John Greenlee, author of The American Meadow Garden, who notes that most monoculture turf lawns never even get used.

His company, Greenlee and Associates, in Brisbane, California, designs residential and other meadows throughout the U.S. as an engaging alternative. Many other appealing options likewise use native plants appropriate to the local climate. For instance, replacing Kentucky bluegrass, Bermuda grass or another non-native species with natives can deliver drought resistance and lower irrigation needs; eliminate any need for fertilizers or toxic pesticides; reduce or eliminate labor-intensive and often polluting mowing and edging; enhance the beauty of a home; and attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

Before replacing a lawn, determine the desired result. It may simply be achieving a low-maintenance, lawn-free yard; growing food like vegetables, herbs, fruit or nuts; or supplying ample flowers for a fresh weekly bouquet. Other benefits might include increasing privacy, dining al fresco, escaping into nature or even sequestering carbon dioxide to reduce climate change.

To be successful, choices must be appropriate to the climate, plant hardiness zone, local zoning ordinances and homeowner association rules. Also consider the soil quality and acidity, moisture content and whether plantings will be in full sun or shade, or both.

The right regional native plants often include grasses and ferns, herbaceous plants like flowering perennials and woody ones like shrubs, vines and trees. Native plants provide shelter and food for wildlife and help preserve a sense of place. “Work with a professional landscaper in your area, ideally a member of the Association for Professional Landscape Designers,” advises Greenlee. Tap a local university extension service, master gardener and garden club for local expertise, often available at no or low cost via classes or club membership.

Four-Season Climates

From the Midwest to New England, “Wild ginger makes a nice, low groundcover with heart-shaped leaves in shade or part shade, where lawn grass often struggles,” suggests Pam Penick, of Austin, Texas, author of Lawn Gone: Low-Maintenance, Sustainable Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard. “Pennsylvania sedge, a low, grassy, meadow-like groundcover, can also work. For areas with full sun, bearberry, an evergreen creeping shrub with red berry-like fruit in fall, or prairie dropseed, a beautiful prairie grass with sparkling seed heads in fall, might be worth trying.”

“Stick with the Carex family of plants, the sedges, for a native meadow,” echoes Greenlee. “They vary in color, texture and height. Follow nature’s lead and create a tapestry of commingled plants. Start slow and add flowering plants like Queen Anne’s lace, daisies, asters and poppies.”

“Basket grass is a low, evergreen grass-like plant with long, spaghetti-type leaves that puddle around it, suitable for shade or partially shaded areas,” advises Penick. “It’s slow, to grow but highly drought-tolerant and nicely covers a dry slope or spills over a retaining wall. Texas sedge makes a low-growing, meadowy alternative that’s evergreen and needs mowing only once every year or two.”

Moss is a fine option for shady and moist areas. “If moss is naturally colonizing a patch of yard, allow it to fill in where the lawn doesn’t want to grow,” Penick counsels. “It makes a springy, evergreen groundcover needing only brief misting to keep it looking good during dry periods.”

“Blue grama grass is native to many states, and buffalo grass is native to states west of the Mississippi River in the right places,” adds Greenlee. They’re especially suited for meadows established in drought-prone regions.

Adding some clover to a traditional lawn may eliminate the need for fertilizers while retaining some turf, says Erica Strauss, of Gamonds, Washington, in her Northwest Edible Life blog. “When the clover loses leaf mass from mowing, its roots die off to compensate and nitrogen enters the soil for neighboring plant roots to use,” she writes. White clover works well if you’re on a budget; microclover, if you’re not.

“If you crave a lawn but want to go native, Habiturf is perfect for the hot, dry Southwest,” says Penick. Developed by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, in Austin, Texas, it’s a mix of several native turf grasses, looks like a shaggy traditional lawn and can be mowed on a high setting occasionally to keep it neat. Once established, it needs far less water than traditional turf.

“Silver ponyfoot grows well in many regions as an annual; as a perennial, it needs mild winters,” Penick continues. “Native to western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, it likes good drainage, gravelly soil, and full-to-part sun.”

Xeriscaping—landscaping that requires little to no water—is especially prevalent in hot, dry regions. Plant choices typically include cactus, succulents, agave and herbs like rosemary or sage.

John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, co-authors of ECOpreneuring and Farmstead Chef, operate the Inn Serendipity, in Browntown, WI.

What a winning team … sustainability and football! NRG Stadium is home to the NFL’s Houston Texans and the host site of this year’s biggest game (Super Bowl 51), on Sunday, February 5. This beautiful, and relatively new, state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue was constructed with sustainability and environmental impact in mind. Built by NRG, the leading integrated power company in the U.S., the stadium is one of four facilities nestled within the 350-acre NRG Park complex. The park offers numerous sustainable eco-friendly features, including nearly 600 solar panels, four solar panel canopies and an electric vehicle parking area featuring NRG EVgo charging stations. NRG Stadium also has integrated LED field and stadium lighting, making the facility more energy efficient. In fact, it is one of the first professional football venues to install LED field lighting.

The NRG company has received several awards for its industry leadership and nationwide “econrg” initiatives, which are fashioned and designed to meet the challenges of climate change, clean air and the protection of natural resources.

Houston Bike Share and BBVA Compass wish to announce the “BBVA Compass Free Rides” program, designed to help alleviate increased traffic congestion and support Bcycle's role as an official transportation partner for Super Bowl LI.

Through the “BBVA Compass Free Rides” program, individuals can receive free Houston Bcycle rides for the 10 days leading up to the Super Bowl, January 27 through February 5, at all Bcycle stations around Houston. Every ride will be free after the rider reserves the bike with a valid credit or debit card, and provides an email address or mobile number at checkout. After the Super Bowl, Bcycle will continue to promote healthy living with “Bike Share Free Fridays” from February 10 through March 31, 2017. Riders will be encouraged to post photos to their social networks incorporating the hashtag #WeAreMobile.

About Houston Bike Share

For more information about Houston Bcycle or follow @houstonbcycle on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2017 15:22:42 -0800http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77322_yoga_and_pregnancy__by_valerie_immore.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77322_yoga_and_pregnancy__by_valerie_immore.htmlA yoga practice is not an exercise class. It is a practice that addresses all our bodies at once: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic. It helps us relax and get centered just as much as it helps our fitness and general wellbeing. Yoga done before, during and after pregnancy is a way to bring babies into a better world, one that we would prefer they see. As we relax and create a more peaceful environment in our external world, the environment within is also relaxed and at peace.

Prenatal yoga is such a valuable tool during pregnancy to not only feel relief in the physical body from the classic discomforts of pregnancy, but also to bring a sense of calm to the fast-paced changes in emotions and stress level. A good prenatal class should be a combination of safe stretches that challenge the students, balanced with restorative postures to bring comfort and peace. Pregnancy and becoming a new Mom are not an easy undertaking, so a good yoga class should help women build strength and stamina that will last throughout the pregnancy and aide in the delivery and recovery from giving birth. The breathing and relaxation techniques done during yoga can help a woman focus and stay calm when she goes into labor and moves through her delivery. It is just as powerful for those who have a C-section as for those who deliver naturally, the techniques are used individually for each situation. Women who do yoga find their pregnancies more comfortable, their deliveries a more pleasant experience and their recovery faster than women who do not do yoga.

Yoga creates a healthy body, a happy mind and a peaceful spirit. There is no better way to bring a child into the world. If more women would do yoga during pregnancy the next generation will look at our planet from a different perspective. There would be less traumatic birthing experiences therefore, less trauma in the lives of those entering the world. Where there is less trauma, there is less violence and more peace. More people should find their way to their yoga mat for these same reasons. If we want to see a change, we must BE the change.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This vintage adage (from 1659, per Wikipedia) is as true as it was when first coined. And we are still struggling with that work/play balance, 400 years later! “Take care of yourself” is the second way to ignite your life in my “IGNITE YOUR LIFE!” art project and community campaign (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) and the word associated with this concept is “NOURISH.” Working less and playing more nourishes our lives.

But how do we do that? I went to see Sunita Tarkunde of the Houston Ayurveda Center to see how that 4,000-year-old system of Indian medicine could help and she told me that my body was off balance and that I needed to shut down all screens at 10pm each night. She looked at me firmly and said “You shut down your screens, you listen to my meditation, and you go to sleep.” I’m a hard nut to crack – that was three years ago and I think I’ve followed Sunita’s advice only three times! But she’s right: the body needs rest. According to a study last February by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html), only 1/3 of Americans are getting enough sleep. Adults 18-60 years old should be getting seven hours of sleep each night. Co-founder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, has written two books about sleep and what she’s termed a “sleep deprivation crisis.” I can’t emphasize this enough: getting enough sleep is an important way to nourish yourself.

Taking care of yourself involves putting yourself first and making your body, mind, and soul a priority. When I hit a wall with self-care recently, I wrote down five things that I need to do every week to stay sane and balanced and I posted that list in my bathroom so I’ll see it daily. I looked at my exercising, my spiritual needs, and my bedtime routine. I decided to do these five things: exercise regularly again, walk a labyrinth, get to a recovery meeting, sleep seven hours each night, and meditate each day. I haven’t been perfect but I do my best.

“Take care of yourself” is one of my twelve ways to ignite your life daily – ways that, if followed, will stave off depression, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation. Being ignited for your life does that. I am an artist and I create when I have things I need to work out in my life. My brother Geoffrey Gish died of alcoholism in 2004 at 43 years old and I not only wanted to deal with my grief by honoring his bright and loving way of being in the world but I also wanted to encourage others to be ignited for their lives so that they could hopefully avoid that same tragic ending.

Over the next 12 years, I wrote 12 ways to ignite your life and summed up each way with one word to make them easy to remember; you can see the full list on the IGNITE YOUR LIFE! website. I now volunteer with teenagers, teaching them about the 12 ways and making bracelets (one is pictured) with all of the words as a service project at their sober high school, Archway Academy. The bracelets sell at Lucia’s Garden and Unity of Houston bookstore. Because of them, we are getting those concepts out into the world.

Did you know that your placenta is a perfect bio-identical organ made by your own body? It's full of hormones, iron, and other constituents that science hasn't documented yet.

The hormones that are known to be in the placenta are the same ones that course through our bodies during pregnancy. Logically, the immediate reduction in these hormones post birth would contribute to the "baby blues." By processing the placenta, and "weaning" your body of them over the course of a few weeks would ideally alleviate some of the symptoms associated with the drastic shift in hormones post baby.

So, how do you do that?When you hire a professional encapsulator, you receive the finished product, processed neatly into capsules, chocolate truffles, smoothie packs, salves or tinctures. Some medical providers don’t see it as being beneficial. They see it as a harbor for bacteria, and that it’s unsafe for women to ingest and that it’s a liability for families to take it home. As of January 1, 2016 all birthing facilities in Texas are required by law to release placentas to those people that request it. A waiver must be signed, and the person who birthed the placenta, or their partner/spouse, must be the one to remove it immediately from the facility.

Risks and BenefitsThough few and rare, there are some risks associated with consuming your placenta. These risks are similar to risks involving food-borne illness.Although mostly anecdotal, the following has been said about ingesting placenta.-Can help prevent or reduce symptoms of postpartum 'baby blues'-Replenishes your iron from blood loss during birth, and can prevent postpartum anemia-Helps to stabilize post birth hormones-Replenishes B vitamins and energy-Helps to lessen postpartum bleeding-Can help to establish an early and healthy milk supply

Leave it to the ProfessionalsProfessional placenta processors are OSHA Blood-borne Pathogen certified. They are taught safe handling of blood products, how to put safety precautions in place so that no cross contamination is possible, and how not to expose themselves to any risks that may be there. They are also ideally Texas Food Handlers Certified. This ensures that they are familiar with the right temperatures that things need to stay at in order to kill off bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses. They are taught proper cleaning and sanitation procedures as well.

When is it not safe?There are a couple pregnancy issues that arise that can cause the placenta to not be beneficial. When a person struggles with anxiety or depression during pregnancy, those same feelings can resurface while ingesting your placenta.

Chorioamnionitis, is an infection of the layer between the uterus and the amniotic sac. It’s usually diagnosed in late pregnancy. If the hospital sends the placenta to the pathology lab, it obviously won’t be able to be used.

Things like Hepatitis C, Aids, HIV are questionable and that’s something that you need to disclose with your processor, and they can decide if they are going to process it or not. For further questions about the process of placenta encapsulation, reach out to Erin Young, owner of Mother Nurturing, LLC. She is proud to provide you with the healing benefits of your placenta safely and professionally.

Serving the Greater Houston metro as a professional doula since 2012, and a licensed Massage Therapist (MT 121460) since 2002. Erin Young, Owner of Mother Nurturing, LLC offers several services to ease your transition into parenthood. Massage Therapy, birth and postpartum Doula services, Placenta Processing, Belly Binding and private childbirth education to name a few.

To learn more about her services and/or hiring Erin, please visit her website at www.mothernurturing.com, email her at erin@mothernurturing.com or call 713-714-7649

Congratulations on your baby! The moment you find out you are pregnant is a special time filled with joy, nerves, and excitement. You are also probably still feeling great. Eventually hormone changes take over and that little baby bump grows throwing off your center of gravity. Then, all of a sudden, you take a step and feel a sharp twinge in your lower back. Ouch! This experience is common for many women throughout their pregnancy. However, most moms-to-be don’t realize there is safe and effective help out there for back pain during pregnancy- It is chiropractic!

Pregnancy is an extraordinary time in your life and this is the time to take really good care of your body and your growing baby. Eating right, exercising and visiting your healthcare provider are all ways to maintain a healthy pregnancy, but adding a prenatal chiropractor to that list can make all the difference in how you feel for those long nine months. Not only does chiropractic care help to decrease low back pain, but it has also been shown to increase chances for a safe and natural labor.

Why does your back hurt during pregnancy? Well, there are several physiological and endocrinological (hormonal) changes that occur in preparation for creating the environment for the developing baby. This includes hormone changes that loosen up ligaments and joints, protruding abdomen, increased back curve, pelvic changes, and postural adaptations that can all result in a misaligned spine or joints know as segmental dysfunction of the spine. Segmental dysfunction (chiropractic vertebral subluxation) is the result of improper motion or position in the vertebra or sacro-illaic joints affecting nerve communications that can cause muscles to go into spasm. This is what can cause back pain and those painful conditions during pregnancy, such as sacro-illiac joint dysfunction, sciatica, diastasis symphysis pubis, and round ligament pain.

Pelvis misalignment is another symptom that can occur in pregnancy and can cause a reduction in the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery, causing the baby to be in breech or posterior presentation. This can affect the mother’s ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth and lead to interventions such as c-sections.

Chiropractic adjustments can help to align the pelvis and spine which will reduce the tension on the nerves and muscles, decrease pain, and keep the pelvis in good alignment to allow the baby room to get in the best head down position for delivery. Prenatal chiropractors are trained in The Webster technique, which is a specific chiropractic analysis and diversified adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of sacral subluxation/ SI joint dysfunction. Adjustments help the neuro-biomechanical function in the pelvis to improve.

Webster Technique is used throughout pregnancy. We encourage patients to start treatment as soon as they become pregnant. This will help to keep the pelvis aligned properly while the body is changing due to the growth of the baby. It is specifically used when a misaligned pelvis causes the tightening and torsion of specific pelvis muscles and ligaments. It is these tense muscles and ligaments and their constraining effect on the uterus, which prevents the baby from achieving the best possible position for birth.

Webster is a safe and effective adjustment throughout pregnancy. Webster is done using very gentle low force with the help of a drop table. It does not hurt the baby or the mom. Most moms leave the office feeling much better than when they walked in.

Chiropractic isn’t just helpful during pregnancy. It is also crucial after you give birth. Your body just went through a major event that can cause joints to shift. Often after birth, whether vaginally or via c-section, the mother’s pelvic biomechanics change – these changes can bring discomfort with walking, nursing and sleeping. Adjustments can help to restore the pelvic balance with similar manipulation, exercises and stretches that were used during prenatal care. Adjustments can help to realign the pelvis before all of the hormones in the body decrease and the joints solidify. This will help to prevent future back pain as well as set your body and pelvis up to be in proper alignment for future pregnancies. The best time to get adjusted postpartum is within the first 6 weeks.

New baby means new positions for your body. You will be holding your little bundle for hours, nursing or bottle feeding her, carrying your baby in her car seat, and rocking her to sleep. This can cause a lot of tension in the mid to upper back and alter normal body biomechanics. There is a tendency for new mothers to flex forward for long periods of time, which can aggravate the mid back area. Your chiropractor can help to keep your back in propter alignment and motion which will decrease tension in those awkward positions.

Babies and children benefit from adjustments too. Birth can be a traumatic experience on a newborn’s body. They are pulled, torqued and twisted which can affect the alignment of their spine. As children learn how to walk, they are falling constantly, and when they become older, children tend to be active and play sports. All of these activities can cause misalignments in your child’s spine. By evaluating and correcting misalignments in the spine, it can help prevent injury, pain and back issues later on in life. Pediatric chiropractors go through almost two years of special training, classes, research projects and a board certification test. They learn safe, gentle, effective and specific techniques to properly adjust little bodies.

Along with putting the spine in proper alignment, chiropractic adjustments have been proven to help increase immune system response. This can potentially help the body to better fight infections, decrease colic, and decrease severity of ear infections. Regular adjustments may decrease allergy symptoms, decrease growing pain and even help babies to sleep better. The doctor uses a very gentle touch when adjusting your child. It does not hurt and most children seem happy and relaxed after their adjustment.

Every person should be under chiropractic care. Please visit your chiropractor today and see how truly amazing your body can feel!

Integrated health care is more in demand today than ever before. With this increasing demand, the search for professional natural health care options for families has become common place. However, with the majority of births happening in hospitals and in the care of allopathic medical physicians, when a mother or child experience health challenges, it is easy to reach back into the medical profession for answers. Unfortunately many frustrated families are not finding the answers or results they seek. A growing population of millennials are discovering the amazing benefits of natural chiropractic care starting at birth for their babies.

This article is intended to be a guide to open up your options to natural, gentle and highly effective health care for you and your infant.

Chiropractic Care for Moms

A mom’s body goes through numerous awe inspiring changes during pregnancy, delivery and post childbirth with millions of different hormonal changes, chemical reactions and developmental changes happening to her nervous system, muscular and skeletal systems. Now, more than ever, a mother’s body needs to be vitally healthy to respond immediately and accurately to all these demands. The highly effective care of Network Spinal Analysis (Gentle Chiropractic) addresses and provides immediate results for mom and her developing baby.

This is a list of some of the most common ailments moms seek care for during and post their pregnancy:

Low back and hip pain

Low energy / lethargy / fog brain

Immune system dysfunction

Post Partum Depression

Anxiety and irritability

Stress reduction

Headaches

Morning sickness/ nausea

and more

Chiropractic Care for Baby

Even though the birth process is ultimately beautiful, it is traumatic and stressful for a newborn. Many newborns can benefit from the gentle examination from a skilled chiropractor who works with the delicate new baby. Chiropractic is safe for all ages. In fact, the pressure and stress placed on a baby’s spine, and entire body, in utero and during the birth process is much greater than what they receive during a chiropractic adjustment.

When parents call our offices, they have a number of questions. Rightfully so, all parents need to be fully educated about the chiropractic care their infant will experience in our offices.

Does my child need to be a certain age, weight or height before they see a chiropractor?

Chiropractic is safe for newborns at any age, weight or height, even preemies. It is highly recommended that parents have their newborn checked by a chiropractor to correct any subluxations, strains of their spine, or stresses in their nervous system that may have occurred during the pregnancy or birth. As the child develops, regular check-ups by their chiropractor insure proper development and thriving of all their body systems.

Can chiropractic adjustments on a baby damage their development?

No. Just the opposite. Research shows that chiropractic adjustments benefit the healthy development of all infants and insure their proper, most healthy growth and vitality without the use of drugs or surgery.

What exactly is it you do?

We bring the infant’s spine into more alignment and ease to allow for greater flow of life force and proper functioning of the nervous system which in turn influence all other systems of the body. We do this through a gentle touch examination of the baby’s spine, responsiveness and posture. Our adjustments for a newborn are light and of less impact to the child than that of the birth process. The amount of pressure required is equivalent or less than the pressure you would feel comfortable placing on your own eyelid.

This is a list of some of the most common ailments parents seek care for in their infant or child:

Fussiness

Feeding and breastfeeding/ latching issues

Colic

Ear infections and ear aches

Allergies/ eczema

Acid Reflux

Torticollis

Development issues and issues thriving

Sleep regulation problems

Breathing problems

Digestive issues

Children with special needs and behavior concerns

Ultimately, the purpose of Chiropractic is to remove interferences to the natural innate healing power running through the nervous system. When that power is unleashed the healing that results is profound.

Our offices at Innate Chiropractic Healing Arts Center receive calls from Moms who have tried everything and are now facing surgery or yet another round of antibiotics for their baby. They hear of our services through a friend, an article, or an online video and reach out in a desperate act of wanting their child to be happy and healthy. Now that you have this guide we invite you to pass it along to someone you know who is expecting, or has been gifted with a new child in their family. Maybe you know of a Mom who has “tried everything”. When they give chiropractic a chance they learn that Network Spinal Analysis Chiropractic is exactly what they had always searched for.

Email our offices at frontdesk@n8chiro.com to receive a free gift of “A Parent’s Guide to Today’s Chiropractic” mailed to your home. You can also visit our website for many articles and resources, and stories of how Dr. Jackie has helped moms, babies and the whole family.

Dr Jackie St. Cyr has been a Board Certified Doctor of Chiropractic since 1995 and holds postgraduate education and certification in Network Spinal Analysis and Somato Respiratory Integration. Her practice and the INNATE CHIROPRACTIC Healing Arts Center is located at 230 Westcott St, Ste 220 in Houston, TX. For more information call 713-521-2104 or visit Dr. Jackie online at www.n8chiro.com

]]>Sun, 29 Jan 2017 08:41:25 -0800http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77120_motherhood_empowerment__by_crystal_prince.html
http://naturalawakenings-houston.com/blog/b_77120_motherhood_empowerment__by_crystal_prince.htmlAs mothers, we are generally the main caregivers for our children, leaving great pressure, responsibility, and consequence of both good and bad with each decision we face, most of which we will not know the effects of until much later. With each and every mother and child being as different as snowflakes in personality, physical growth and culture, deciding which paths to take that fit our own lifestyles and priorities can be our greatest challenge. As we all know, our babies do not come with their own individual hand-book; therefore, many of us are left feeling incompetent, powerless, and side-lined in their role as mothers. So, how in the world do we overcome this?

While working closely with women as a doula and educator during one of their most impacting journeys of life called “motherhood”, I have found empowerment to be an essential attribute every mother should seek to obtain. Robert Adams gives us his version of the definition of ‘empowerment’ in his book Empowerment, Participation and Social Work (fourth edition), “Empowerment: the capacity of individuals, groups and/or communities to take control of their circumstances, exercise power and achieve their goals, and the process by which, individually and collectively, they are able to help themselves and others to maximize the quality of their lives.” In the world of motherhood, we can utilize the three different types of empowerment that Robert Adams speaks of within community empowerment, group empowerment and self-empowerment.

Community and large group empowerment can be seen through many organizations such as International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN), March of Dimes, La Leché League, and Postpartum Progress. We can see large groups of women joining together to bring awareness and support to one another, usually with a common challenge to overcome. These groups work largely to empower and educate women nationally and world-wide by using evidence-based research and an understanding of how to help mothers get through their challenges.

Small empowerment groups can branch off of some of the groups mentioned above, as well as other individual local and social media groups. This is where we as moms can really dig in, get educated, relate on a more personal level, and build relationships with other mothers that may be experiencing similar challenges from the small things like diaper blow-outs and teething troubles, to larger issues like tongue/lip tie, infant prematurity, and postpartum depression/anxiety. Some topics we can laugh off with anecdotes. Some topics we tend to feel ashamed of, not realizing that many mothers go through very similar things. All topics, we as mothers should lay aside our judgement and remember that our priorities, goals, lifestyles and values are not the same. That we are not the same snowflake and we are not building the same snowman. Instead we should embrace and respect each other’s strengths, weaknesses and individuality. With this respect to motherhood, you can help embrace your own and others’ self-empowerment.

Now, self-empowerment is something to be gained from a variety of resources. Large and small groups as mentioned before; education through books, online research, classes, and experience; support from a spouse/partner, family and friends, and self-confidence. Some of us will find this part with ease. While most of us will struggle with self-empowerment off and on throughout motherhood (yes, the rest of your life). And that is okay and completely normal. I’ll say it again and elaborate. It is okay and completely normal to wonder if what you are doing is right or wrong, it’s okay to lend an ear to education and advice, it’s okay to seek holistic and medical professional advice, and it’s okay to take that advice. It’s okay to plan one way, only to see the future now in present time with a different perspective and change your mind. After all, as humans we cannot be knowers-of-all, but don’t let it take away your educated pursuit and right of motherhood. In any basic childbirth education classes, we are taught the acronym B.R.A.I.N.E.D.: Benefits? Risks? Alternatives? Intuition? Nothing/Not now? Emergency? Discuss? /Decision. Carry that with you through the decisions to be made. Weigh heavier on decisions that cannot be recalled. For example: I can give my baby a pacifier and take it away, but I cannot take back a vaccination; I can change positions during labor, but cannot take back waters being artificially broken. Not that any permanent decisions can or should always be avoided.

Motherhood empowerment is something to be treated much like a sports game (my favorite analogy for this). Have trusted coaches and cheerleaders- Get in touch with other mothers, doulas, support groups, and physicians. These are the people that you can lean on in times of question and to cheer you on when you feel like you just can’t go on. Take caution on your intake/diet- Weed out the judgment and negativity, while being able to accept positivity, encouragement and constructive education. There will always be people in the crowd “booing” your choices, just heed advice from those trusted coaches and trust your gut. Exercise- Find support wherever you need it, be supportive by sharing knowledge and lending an ear, and be active in matters that you find your own challenges and passions. Empowerment will take self-effort and evaluation and may take some sweat, but WOW the strength that it can bring you. Have a game plan- Planning is a great thing and helps us reach our goals, but as in any game, we can come across obstacles, so be ready by consulting your trusted coaches, your own knowledge and instinct to change plays and strategies. You won’t always win every play, but try and try again. You’ll get through it enjoy this motherhood adventure, probably better than you could have ever imagined.

Imagine being pregnant and being terrified to give birth, or so afraid of your birth day that you can’t bring yourself to even think about it. What if you’ve had a previous traumatic birth and you’re terrified of history repeating itself? You may be a first time mom and just honestly not know what to expect on your birth day besides the gory stories you’ve heard from your friends or family members and you’re nervous to give birth.

These are such common fears and realities for so many expectant moms and such valid fears and concerns too. We, as a society, have been conditioned for generations to believe birth is an agonizing and torturous event that happens to a woman and a cross we must bear. But is it? Why does it have to be this way? Why would women continue to birth again and again if it really was as bad as we hear? What can our pregnant moms do to make their births easier, better and dare I say, actually enjoyable?

Enter HypnoBirthing®.

The HypnoBirthing® Institute, founded by Marie F. Mongan, has been helping women have comfortable, calm and easier births for over 25 years. Based on the workings of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, a British Physician who simply asked, why is birth supposed to hurt? After observing many laboring women, he came to the realization that if a woman removed fear from her birth, she was more likely to not tense up and when a laboring woman didn’t tense up and remained relaxed, she was far, far less likely to feel that excruciating pain we so often see in the media.

Marie F. Mongan knew that by educating our moms and teaching valuable tools and techniques that they could go on to have great birthing experiences. Marie F. Mongan set forth tools such as Deepening and Relaxation techniques, Breathing exercises and talks about the importance of Visualizations and Affirmations to condition the mind and prepare the body for the work it will do on the birthing day. When a mother practices and fine tunes these tools and techniques she may very well go on to have a faster, easier and better birth for her and her baby.

As a certified HypnoBirthing® Practitioner and the founder of Born Free Birthing, I find the biggest hurdle our parents have is the Hypno/Hypnosis aspect. Many of the parents that attend my class expect I will preform a Vegas/Entertainment type of Hypnosis, but once educated and having experienced what Hypnosis for childbirth really is like, they are often blown away at how effective and relaxing it actually is.

A HypnoBirthing® class won’t teach a mother how to give birth; her body and baby already know how to do this, but over the span of five weeks, with each class lasting roughly 2.5 hours, we, as HypnoBirthing® Practitioners teach our moms about their body, and why it is working the way it is in order to birth their babies easily and comfortably. We teach our moms about the powerful muscle that is the uterus and how through breathing and relaxation techniques, to assist in helping it preform to the best of its ability and to not resist and impede what it is trying to do. We teach our moms to trust their bodies, for the birthing body is not a lemon, it is beautifully designed and they must trust the process to just release, relax and let go. We remind our moms they are capable and strong beings.

We prepare our couples for every turn their birth may take, because we know, birth very rarely goes exactly to plan and it is vital to be prepared and educated as much as possible. We pay great attention to the dad or birthing companion and educating them on how best to assist the laboring mom. We teach wonderful massage and deepening techniques that will help mom stay in her calm zone. We prepare our dads or birthing companions for the birth from the very start to the very end, what to expect through the stages of labor, how to communicate with the caregiver on duty, bonding with mom and baby before, during and after the birth, hospital protocols, comfort measures for mom on the birth day and so on. When our dads or birthing companions are fully prepared and confident on the birth day, then mom can relax and birth free of worry or concern. When both mom and dad are educated and prepared for the birth of their baby, the birth day can be one of the most empowering days filled with immense joy, bonding and discovery, for it’s not just a baby that was born, but parents too.

Written by: Cliodhna Griffin, HBCE, APPAC

Cliodhna is the founder of Born Free Birthing and is a certified HypnoBirthing® Practitioner in Houston, TX, who has been trained in HypnoBirthing® by the founder Marie F Mongan and is proudly Houston’s first APPA triple certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist.

Tell me a little about your background. How did you decide to become a midwife?

As a mother, I am a natural caregiver and the role of midwife was one I took to very well. I had three hospital births, where none were bad, I just felt like it could have been better. I hired a midwife with my fourth, and it began my love of midwifery.

I was already working as an IBCLC prior to the birth of my fourth, but wanted to be a part of the birth world. Shortly after the birth of my fourth, I started photographing births and quickly realized I wanted more and decided to become a doula. I worked with a few obstetric clients as well as a few midwifery clients. I enjoyed doula work more then photographing, but it still left me wanting more. I spoke with the midwife I used during my fourth pregnancy about assisting her and shortly after started apprenticing with her. I went to the prenatal exams, births and postpartum exams of her clients and loved the interactions and the strong relationship that was built between most clients and the midwife. It took me one year before I officially enrolled in the Association of Texas Midwifery Training Program.

What exactly is a midwife and what do they do?

A midwife is a professional who cares for low risk women during their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. We typically start seeing clients between 8-10 weeks. We monitor the mother and baby throughout the pregnancy for adequate growth and nutritional health. An appointment with a midwife is similar to that of an OB but much more in-depth. We monitor vital signs, do lab work when indicated, listen to the fetal heart tones, but we also discuss stress, exercise, mental well being, and answer any questions or concerns the parents might have. Midwifery is based on informed consent: keeping the client informed and having open dialogue with parents. A midwife is only part of the team; the parents are the other half.

Could you tell us a little about the history of midwifery?

Midwifery was established long before obstetrics. Many older women in the community provided care to pregnant women and passed along their knowledge to other women wanting to become midwives. As time passed, the promise of a pain-free childbirth made its way and obstetrics and hospital births grew among the urban middle class. Midwives continued to provide care to the underprivileged women in their community. For decades midwives were seen as uneducated and dangerous. Laws and regulations came into play and the community midwives were required to be licensed and regulated. Schools were formed for midwifery education and standards have to be met. Midwifery has been gaining in popularity in the United States and is beginning to be more mainstream in all social classes. However, the reasons it is most sought after is parents seek to be more involved in their prenatal care, are becoming more educated about risk of interventions and drugs, and desire a more natural option for pain management during childbirth.

What are some of the advantages of having a home birth with a midwife over a hospital birth?

Personally, as a midwifery client, I enjoyed getting into my own bed, eating my own food and not being separated from my family after giving birth. For clients, some of the advantages I see is they are less inhibited with moving around, being vocal, and being nude. They are in their own comfort zone, so they feel safe and free. They birth in more natural positions, they tolerate the normal pain of childbirth easier, and find deep comfort in having their family there. I see advantages for their partners too. They are more involved in the laboring process but also feel more comfortable because they are in their own space. The staff doesn’t change at certain times; there are no restrictions on movement, showering/baths, or drinking or eating. All those things add up in big ways for the clients. Additionally, the rise in the cesarean rates due to interventions is at an all time high and many clients feel uneasy even walking into a hospital.

Are there circumstances where you would not recommend a home birth and how do you handle any complications that might arise?

Not every woman is low risk. There are certain medical conditions that would prevent a woman from being a midwifery client. There are also some factors, such as advanced maternal age, that may be considered a risk but may not disqualify a woman from risk midwifery care. Some clients that start out low risk later develop a condition that makes them higher risk. Midwives typically have an OB they can consult with or send a client to for further evaluation. Midwives do ongoing risk assessments throughout the entire pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period. We are also trained in basic life support, neonatal resuscitation and carry medications to handle some complications.

How would you recommend our readers go about choosing a midwife?

Choosing a midwife is very personal. I recommend to all my prospective clients to interview at least one or two other midwives. It is important to feel comfortable asking questions. You have to trust your health care provider and feel confident in their ability to handle issues if they arise. Ask a lot of questions when you interview a midwife; not just about how they handle situations but how often they transport to the hospital. You should also ask if they bring a birth assistant, how many clients do they take that are due the same month, do they have vacations planned, where the appointments take place and what the fees involved in care are. One of the most important factors is trust. Also remember, it is never too late to change health care providers if you don’t feel comfortable or feel your provider dismisses your concerns or wishes.

Are there other birthing professionals that you work with before, during or after a birth?

Some of the other professionals I refer to or recommend for clients in pregnancy is a chiropractor, massage therapist, child birth educators, breastfeeding classes, birth photographers and doulas.

Is there anything else that you'd like to share with our readers?

The pain of childbirth is often seen as something to fear. It is a natural emotion to feel; yet childbirth in reality is nothing like we see on television or in movies. When allowed, a woman’s body will guide her and work with her to birth her baby. Just like childbirth, there are many myths around midwifery. I would encourage every expecting parent to at least call a midwife and chat with them. Lastly, I would encourage all expecting parents to read some well written books on pregnancy and childbirth, breastfeeding and to be always be active in your care.

Many pet owners have chosen functional medicine for their own care, so they logically turn to it for their four-legged family members, as well. Most veterinarians are still unfamiliar with this approach to pet health care and may even discourage its use because they see it as being out of synch with conventional ideology.

Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging patients and doctors in a partnership designed to improve health. This evolved practice better addresses individual needs than a traditional approach that focuses on illness and treating disease rather than restoring overall health. By shifting from an allopathic platform to a more holistic, patient-centered one, functional medicine addresses the whole pet, not just a set of symptoms.

Why Functional Medicine

The system of medicine practiced by most vets is geared toward acute care of a severe trauma or a climax in illness that necessitates urgent diagnosis and treatment. They typically apply specific, prescribed treatments such as drugs or perform surgery to treat the immediate problem or symptom. This approach works well for pets experiencing a crisis, but isn’t appropriate for restoring health when animals have chronic disorders. It also doesn’t help them to at least live comfortably with incurable problems without the side effects often caused by extensive administration of medications.

Conventional veterinary science lacks the proper tools for preventing and treating complex, chronic disease. In most cases, it doesn’t take into account an individual’s unique genetic makeup or exposure to toxins such as too many vaccines, drugs or environmental chemicals.

Functional medicine always focuses on the unique nature of the patient; there is no “one treatment fits all” mentality. Functional medicine vets are specifically trained to assess the underlying causes of complex, chronic disease and to apply strategies such as nutrition, diet and naturopathic remedies to both treat and prevent these illnesses. They can ably help the increasing number of pets suffering from complex, chronic health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, allergies, arthritis, seizures, bowel and bladder problems and immune system disorders.

Functional medicine best addresses these concerns because it involves understanding the origins, prevention and treatment of ailments and emphasizes customized care. The goal is to promote health as a positive force well beyond the absence of disease.

It’s possible for many pets to appear to be healthy while specialized, noninvasive testing shows underlying issues that must be addressed if illness is to be prevented. Conventional medicine either doesn’t offer such testing or ignores minor abnormalities, placing the pet at risk for developing serious and potentially irreversible problems.

Integrative Approach

An integrative, science-based healthcare approach considers interactions in the pet’s history, physiology and lifestyle that might lead to problems. All of the diagnostic and treatment modalities are based upon proven scientific principles and follow evidence-based medicine to yield the best results in terms of total function.

Functional medicine integrates traditional Western medical practices with what is sometimes considered “holistic” or “complementary” healing methods. The focus is on prevention through nutrition, diet and exercise; use of the latest laboratory testing and other diagnostic techniques; and prescribed combinations botanical medicines, supplements, therapeutic diets, detoxification programs and drugs (only when necessary as a last, rather than a first resort). This whole-pet approach allows doctors to choose whichever therapies are best for each patient.

Holistic vets see many patients for which conventional medicine has proven ineffective. Sometimes conventional doctors back away from offering treatment, either because the pet is “too old,” the treatment is “too expensive” or the results are unlikely to be “satisfactory”. Functional medicine can help many of these so-called hopeless cases, return pets to health and often heal disease after principles of functional medicine have been consistently applied to the pet’s everyday lifestyle.

Finding a functional medicine vet is challenging, but worth the effort. Focusing on the individual needs of a pet ensures the optimum chance for achieving and sustaining proper health.

Shawn Messonnier, a doctor of veterinary medicine practicing in Plano, TX, is the author of The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats and Unexpected Miracles: Hope and Holistic Healing for Pets. For more information, visit PetCareNaturally.com.

Kettlebell training promotes fat loss, toning of major muscle groups and greater functional strength, while requiring less time than its dumbbell counterpart.

“Kettlebells can replace almost all other exercise equipment in providing an all-in-one workout, combining strength and cardio benefits,” explains Shelly Bumpus, an Athletics and Fitness Association of America certified personal trainer and owner of the Studio Women's Fitness Center in Scott, Louisiana. Bumpus often uses kettlebells in strength and conditioning exercise classes to afford a balanced full-body workout that’s fun and engaging.

“Consistent kettlebell training imitates and strengthens movements we use to function in daily life,” explains Athena Concannon, an American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and healthy lifestyle blogger at AchieveWithAthena.com, in Boston, Massachusetts. For example, actions like lifting grocery bags and standing up from a sitting position become easier. She notes that the growing popularity of different kinds of functional training in the past decade has bolstered recognition of kettlebell benefits as people seek ways to move away from assisted weight machines towards natural body movements.

Kettlebells now show up in circuit training, CrossFit and both functional fitness and step classes. People see results because, “It takes multiple small and large muscle groups to redirect movement while maintaining control with a kettlebell, requiring more muscle recruitment than with a traditional dumbbell; it’s because its shape provides unbalanced weight resistance that strengthens a multitude of different muscles of muscles,” explains Julie Joffrion, owner of All-Inclusive Health, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

A kettlebell’s configuration requires exercisers to pay close attention to maintaining a neutral spinal posture and avoid locking knees and wrists to avoid pain or injury. By starting with a smaller weight and focusing on form first, exercisers build a foundation that allows them to freely enjoy the benefits.

Momentum training with kettlebells also compares favorably to traditional dumbbells or weighted bars. “The distinctive shape and weight distribution allows for a variety of exercises and grip positions that are not as comfortable and effective or even possible with a dumbbell,” says Joffrion.

Although kettlebells have been popular with Russian athletes since the 1700s, they are a relatively new addition to U.S. fitness clubs. “I first learned about kettlebell fitness in 2005 when some gyms were purchasing them. However, because trainers didn’t yet know how to use or instruct on proper movement of the bells, they sat dormant for awhile. I started using them and fell in love. After a few months, I knew this would be something I’d stick with for a long time,” recalls Lorna Kleidman, an accomplished kettlebell champion who has earned gold awards in 17 national and international competitions.

Now the founder of KettleX, a business focused on making kettlebell fitness available to everyone through DVDs, private sessions, online coaching and seminars, Kleidman says, “The beauty is that the bells keep you strong and looking great, no matter what your age or fitness experience. I’ve rarely met a person that didn’t get hooked after working out with the appropriate bells, be it a child or an 80-year-young client.

“They are excellent for power, cardiovascular enhancement, endurance and physical symmetry, which is important for the health of the tissues and joints. At the same time, they provide a healthful-looking physique, including toned arms, flat abs and a round, lifted butt,” she adds.

Participants completing 20 minutes of a high-intensity kettlebell workout burned an average of 20 calories per minute in a study sponsored by the American Council of Exercise. The researchers compared this level to running a six-minute mile and credited the more intensive calorie burn a result of challenging the total body, which quickly raises the heart rate when performed with speed. The study concluded that kettlebell training is especially beneficial for those that want to fit in a time-efficient, total body workout.

Proponents go a step further, claiming that kettlebells can deliver increased benefits in half the time compared to traditional workouts. Bumpus advises, “If you’re solely interested in building strength and muscle power, stick with free weights, but if you’re looking for a way to burn fat while increasing muscular and cardiovascular endurance, kettlebells are a fantastic option to incorporate into your training.”

Taylor Geiger is a freelance writer in Phoenix, Arizona. Connect at TaylorGeiger.wordpress.com.

Imagine being outside on a sunny day, looking at a clear blue sky. It’s natural to feel calm and wonderful while contemplating this expansive view.

Then a solitary bird flies across our field of vision. Noticing it takes our attention away from the stillness of the sky to instead track its movement as it flies by. Then we start thinking about the bird: “I wonder where it’s coming from and going? Why is it alone? Has it lost its mate?” At that point, we are no longer feeling calm, but concerned.

Inside of each of us, right now, there is a “big blue sky” of awareness with all kinds of “birds” flying around, including thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and anything in the external world that catches our attention.

Attaining a consistent inner calm is possible by learning to be more interested in and attentive to the conscious awareness that is calmly observing what’s going on in our thinking, emotions, bodily sensations and life. We can live permanently engaged with this awareness and the inner dominion it contains, instead of being helplessly caught up in the content of our own or others’ thinking or emotion, which are often conditioned by the world to be more negative than positive.

As we mature in this skill, we discover that such awareness is always still, silent, peaceful, powerful, unlimited and infinite. It reflects who we really are as opposed to who we think we are. Through practice, it becomes our natural way of being and we awake to an excellent way of living

To experience this, try the Gently Alert Attention Wide Open (GAAWO) technique. Look at something that’s straight ahead while simultaneously letting the gaze gently open up wider, looking neither left nor right, using passive peripheral vision. Now do the same with up and down, so gentle alertness encompasses an even greater scope. As we do this, we will likely notice that our thoughts are stilled and we feel more present, calm and quiet than a moment earlier.

This simple technique works for everyone. By playing with it regularly, we can discover that a sense of peace never leaves us; rather, we leave our innate, peaceful center when we focus on and feel the to and fro movements of our mind. Exchanging typical thinking for staying in a conscious state of awareness helps us to unchain our being from limiting views and perspectives, so that we live more freely.

Sandy C. Newbigging is the creator of Calmology principles and techniques, including the transformative GAAWO. He offers a 12-week Calmology foundation course at CalmClan.com. Connect at SandyNewbigging.com.

Peer pressure and body consciousness are universal challenges facing teens and their parents. Experts find that by modeling healthy habits and maintaining open lines of communication, adults can help foster healthy independent thinking and responses to inevitable situations.

Respect Developing Capacities

Some teen struggles are literally all in their heads, according to Dr. Frances Jensen, a professor of University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, in Philadephia. “The brain is the last organ to mature, and isn’t fully complete until young people reach their late 20s. This allows the brain to adapt to its environment, which can be both good and bad,” says Jensen, author of The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults.

Compounding the challenge, the frontal lobes, responsible for higher functions like insight, judgment, impulse control and empathy, fully mature last; it’s no coincidence that teens struggle in these areas, according to Jensen. The plasticity of the teenage brain is optimal for learning and adaption, but without the frontal lobe feedback, it’s a challenge for them to moderate the heightened emotions, novelty seeking and sexual impulses adolescents are also experiencing.

“We expect teenagers to act rationally, but there are many reasons why their brains aren’t taking them there,” says Jensen. “Acknowledging this can lower frustration levels for everyone.”

Create a Safe Haven

Teens learn more from experience than lectures, so parents should facilitate positive experiences and influences at home, advises Carla Atherton, director of The Healthy Family Formula, in Canada’s Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which fosters family well-being by holistically addressing root causes of poor health. Such activities can include regularly preparing meals together and going for family walks, rather than eating dinner in front of the TV.

“Doing everything you can to connect with kids while they are in an environment you can control gives them a good foundation they can take into the world,” says Atherton, the mother of three teens.

Parents have to give trust to gain kids’ trust stresses educator Naomi Katz, of Galilee, Israel, author of Beautiful: Being an Empowered Young Woman. “Create an environment where kids feel like they don’t have to hide or lie about anything,” Katz says. She also encourages parents to empower adolescents in decision-making: Rather than telling them not to try drugs or alcohol “because I said so,” provide them real facts to help them draw their own conclusions.

Suppurt Quiet Respite

In today’s hyper-connected world, Katz observes, “Social dynamics can get really confusing and painful and impact kids in far-reaching ways. We used to come home from school and be away from those issues until the next day; now that break doesn’t come because of social media and smartphones.”

Katz recommends encouraging journaling or other forms of self-expression for teens to help unplug and reflect. Breathing exercises can help calm nerves and allow teens to think more clearly in tough social situations, thinking before they react. Katz also suggests teens set aside time each week for a feel-good activity like playing sports or music, to give them a reliable source of pleasure and accomplishment no matter what else is going on in their lives.

Stay Alert to Signs

Despite a parent’s best efforts, kids can and will make unhealthy choices, and parents need to be prepared to manage the consequences. If a child is found or suspected of dangerous or addictive behaviors like self-harming or an eating disorder, it’s important to address these immediately, seeking professional help if needed, counsels Katz.

Jensen remarks that it’s easier to “learn” unhealthy patterns when the brain is malleable, and addictive behaviors are harder to eliminate than if they are acquired as an adult.

The signs of unhealthy behaviors can be subtle so it’s important to recognize cues without making flash judgments or placing blame, says Atherton, For example, a parent that notices her teen eating differently or obsessed with working out should consider initiating a conversation with him or her about body image.

Talking to teens about images in the media can help them gain a more balanced and positive self-perspective. “You can tell your kids, ‘These advertising images are trying to sell you someone’s idea of a “perfect” look, but it’s not reality,” says Atherton.

For whatever issues teens are trying to cope with, parents need to cultivate their own sense of inner calm; to be the rock that they can cling to. “Caring adults need to give teens a periodic frontal lobe assist,” says Jensen. “It helps when we share more details and insights about how we organize our lives and make decisions. Modeling the rationality and empathy that teenagers may lack can be an effective counterbalance.”

Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, of Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.

Holistic skin care practices are simple, healthy and sustainably good for people and the planet because they follow nature’s example.

Medical Doctor Alan M. Dattner, a 35-year pioneer in the field of holistic dermatology, faithfully follows nature’s principles in supporting skin health. His book, Radiant Skin from the Inside Out: The Holistic Dermatologist’s Guide to Healing Your Skin Naturally, maps out how skin reflects the body’s healthy or unhealthy organs and systems.

Finding the internal root cause of problems on the skin, the body’s largest organ, takes time to investigate. Dattner, who practices in New York City and New Rochelle, New York, and considers himself a “skin detective”, says that although his forensic work continues to expand, he still begins his sleuthing by taking a detailed and comprehensive history that yields clues for solving health puzzles and points him in the direction of what’s causing problems.

Some patients with acne also have symptoms of bloating, gastrointestinal issues or chronic bowel disease. Others may have traveled to another country where they contracted diarrhea from a parasite or foreign bacteria that upset their intestinal microbiome.

Skin outbreaks can also be the result of food sensitivities or food allergies. “I make patients aware of the issues underlying their skin problems so that they understand the connection between internal health and skin. Then they can make conscious food choices,” says Dattner.

Diet is a critical aspect of healthy skin. Food sensitivities can cause inflammation that can show up on the skin, he explains.

Dattner incorporates several diagnostic techniques and remedies from other medical traditions, including herbal, homeopathic, and ayurvedic. A tongue diagnosis he uses is taken from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). He uses Applied Kinesiology to refine his therapeutic choices as the results align with his knowledge of dermatology, immunology and integrative medicine.

Janice MacKenzie, acupuncture practitioner, teacher and author of Discovering the Five Elements: One Day at a Time, views the skin as a third lung, because it breathes. “If the organs of elimination aren’t working well—large intestine, liver and kidney—then toxins leave through skin, another organ of elimination,” says MacKenzie, who practices in Perkasie, Pennsylvania.

“When constipation leaves toxins to be reabsorbed into the blood and recirculated through the liver, the body, out of desperation, seeks ways to get rid of toxins through the skin. This can result in eczema, psoriasis, rashes, boils and acne,” notes MacKenzie.

In TCM, the facial redness of rosacea originates in a heating of the blood caused by toxicity. An inflammatory condition of excess energy and toxicity in the stomach travels upward through the stomach energy meridian that runs from the eye to the second toe. It’s supposed to flow downward through the mouth, throat and intestines and out.

Elina Fedatova, cosmetic chemist, aesthetician, owner of spas in Chicago and Kalamazoo, Michigan, and formulator of Elina Organics, addresses skin as an aspect of a whole healthy body. Her product line is created wholly from organic plant extracts and essential oils, made in batches every two weeks. These purely natural products can be ingested without harmful effects. “Formulas are made using holistic principles and adjusted for each season,” says Fedatova.

She agrees with Dattner, “Protecting skin from the inside with a nutritious diet that benefits the entire body is vital, as important as keeping the skin’s surface clean.” In caring for skin from the outside, a gentle exfoliation that can be done at home three times a week using a honey mask is the first step. Skin cells produced in the deepest layer gradually push their way to the epidermis every 30 days and die. Dead cells pile up unevenly and give the skin’s surface a dry, dull appearance. Treatment serums, moisturizing lotions and eye and neck creams are necessary elements of a complete facial skin care regimen, as is a natural sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

“Using skincare practices and products that follow nature’s example are the perfect external complement to good internal health,” says Fedatova.

Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings. Connect at ItsAllAboutWe.com.

Sales of gluten-free products reached $973 million in 2014 and are projected to grow to $2.34 billion in 2019, according to Packaged Facts, a market research publisher. Many such products cost more than their gluten-based counterparts.

Gluten Sufferers

The latest study, published in the American Medical Association publication JAMA Internal Medicine, found that the number of Americans with celiac disease remained relatively stable from 2009 through 2014 at about 2.7 million. Meanwhile, marketers for gluten-free products report about 40 million consumers.

Those with a non-celiac gluten sensitivity or wheat allergy also experience a range of symptoms including bloating, brain fog and joint pain when they ingest gluten. According to the Center, as many as 7 percent of Americans, or 18 million people, fall into this vague category, due to a far less understood immune response, distinct from what’s linked to celiac disease.

Gluten Beneficiaries

The many Americans unaffected by gluten may want to avoid gluten-free products, says Dr. Michael Greger, a Washington, D.C., physician specializing in clinical nutrition. The bestselling author of How Not to Die, Greger founded the educational nonprofit NutritionFacts.org and is a founding fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

“Just because some people have a peanut allergy doesn’t mean everyone should avoid peanuts,” says Greger. “Some evidence suggests that a gluten-free diet may adversely affect gut health in people without celiac disease, gluten sensitivity or wheat allergy.” He cites a small study published in the Gut Microbes which found that a one-month, gluten-free diet may hurt gut flora and immune function, potentially precipitating an overgrowth of harmful intestinal bacteria for those on gluten-free diets.

The gluten components that cause problems for the wheat-sensitive may act as prebiotics and feed-good bacteria for the rest of us, says Greger.

Researchers from Pennsylvania’s University of Reading conducted multiple studies showing that arabino-xylan-oligosaccharide derived from wheat bran increases beneficial bifidobacteria populations in the guts of humans.

It is disappointing that a number of highly publicized studies done on celiac patients have been inappropriately applied to the general population, notes Adams.

Gluten may also boost immune function. In a study published in the journal Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, researchers found that after less than a week on a diet with added gluten protein, subjects experienced significantly increased natural killer cell activity, which could improve their ability to fight cancer and viral infections. An earlier study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that high-gluten bread improved triglyceride levels better than regular gluten bread.

Plus, Greger says, avoiding gluten means missing out on all the fiber, B vitamins, trace minerals and other nutrients from whole grains like wheat, barley and rye. A whole-grain-rich diet has been repeatedly shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer in studies from such institutions as The University of Minnesota and Lund University, in Sweden.

“Most gluten-free processed foods are not made with nutrient-rich, health-protecting whole grains,” adds Katherine Tallmadge, a Washington, D.C., registered dietitian, nutrition coach and author of Diet Simple. Ingredients such as potato starch and cornstarch with little nutritional value typically help take the place of wheat flour. “The gluten-free label has little to do with nutritional value.” French fries and many candies, for example, are naturally gluten-free.

Impact of Self-Diagnosis

Self-diagnosing a gluten issue can delay a doctor’s accurate assessment, cautions Greger. “We diagnose celiac by looking for the inflammation caused by gluten in celiac sufferers. If they haven’t been eating a lot of gluten, we might miss diagnosing the disease. Thus, instead of being on a gluten-free diet, we want celiac suspects to be on a gluten-loaded diet, such as four to six slices of gluten-packed bread daily for at least a month before they come for a diagnostic exam.”

Studies are ongoing and information continues to evolve regarding the pluses and minuses of a gluten-free diet.

Following up on the success of her bestselling book Honest Medicine: Effective, Time-Tested, Inexpensive Treatments for Life-Threatening Diseases, Julia Schopick plans to spread awareness of the efficacy of low dose naltrexone (LDN) in treating autoimmune and other ailments later this year with a new book co-authored with professional writer Don Schwartz.

Her first book, endorsed by many leading integrative health practitioners, earned the top National Indie Excellence Award for Alternative Medicine. It taps into nearly 200 scientific studies, with her research into innovative treatments driven by a quest that she and her late husband both believed added 15 years to his life after a terminal prognosis at age 40.

The former English teacher at Long Island University and Virginia State University, now an Oak Park, Illinois resident, has contributed to the American Medical Association publication AM News, writes online and print guest columns and shares her journey in media interviews.

What are some of the most significant natural alternatives you report on in Honest Medicine?

The Ketogenic Diet is one standout because it was the standard of care for children with epilepsy in the 1920s—until pharmaceutical companies began to produce lucrative anti-seizure medications; then its use diminished through a lack of proponents in the medical field. Its use was revived in the 1990s due to the efforts of Jim Abrahams, a Hollywood writer/director, father of a child with epilepsy and one of my heroes.

I found small studies that proved that the Ketogenic Diet successfully stops children’s seizures nearly 70 percent of the time. This highly effective alternative has none of the negative side effects of anti-seizure drugs. Most doctors aren’t in favor of the diet approach and instead often prescribe affected children up to three or four meds as an easier option. The diet follows Hippocrates’ dictum, “Let food be your medicine.”

Another standout is intravenous alpha lipoic acid, pioneered since the 1970s by Dr. Burt Berkson, who used it mainly for end-stage liver disease and diabetic neuropathy. He saved many people from needing liver transplants with infusions of this powerful, versatile antioxidant.

Did anything surprise you?

I chose to include effective treatments that are non-toxic and inexpensive. I didn’t realize that several of them were effective for many different conditions.

For example, LDN has been used since the mid-1980s to treat autoimmune diseases, of which there are more than 100; it also treats some cancers and AIDS. Research shows good results for conditions as varied as multiple sclerosis, lupus, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and Parkinson’s, because all of them have an autoimmune component if they are not directly autoimmune diseases.

Similarly, the Ketogenic Diet is now being studied as a treatment for cancers, especially brain tumors, brain injuries, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Intravenous alpha lipoic acid is also used to address autoimmune diseases, some cancers and other conditions.

Are you finding that people are increasingly moving away from drugs and, if so, why?

Yes. The norm used to be that patients followed their doctors’ orders without question, which routinely entailed prescription drugs. Today, people are realizing that drugs often come with horrendous side effects. Consider, for instance, that ads for some injectible treatments for autoimmune diseases caution against side effects of cancers, including lymphomas. A side effect of some multiple sclerosis drugs is a serious brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML. People are listening closely, reading and researching their health issues, and don’t want risky side effects, especially when safer options are available.

In dealing with chronic illnesses, how crucial is it for caregiver and patient to maintain a positive, optimistic attitude?

Multiple studies, like those referenced in Mind Over Medicine, by Dr. Lissa Rankin, and Radical Remission, by Kelly Turner, Ph.D., show that a positive state of mind is crucial to healing. One of the benefits I report in my book is that patients and caregivers will do even more research looking for alternatives when doctors tell them nothing else can be done. And many find healing treatments; there are many such cases reported in my book. I like the African proverb, “When you pray, move your feet.”

Randy Kambic is a freelance writer and editor in Estero, FL, and regular contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.

Eat less, move more. These words have been the cornerstone of diet advice for decades, leading millions of Americans to greet the new year with vows to cut calories and hit the gym. In all, one in five U.S. adults are dieting at any given time, according to the international market research firm The NPD Group, and 57 percent would like to lose 20 pounds or more. Yet few will reach that goal.

One survey of 14,000 dieters published in the International Journal of Obesity found that only one in six had ever been able to lose 10 percent of their body weight and kept it off for a year. Another study, published in the last year in Obesity, followed up with 14 contestants from the 2009 TV reality show The Biggest Loser and found that despite efforts to keep their eating and exercise habits on track, 13 had regained significant weight since the competition. Four are heavier now than before participating on the show.

Diet experts say the battle of the bulge has been exceedingly hard to win for one clear reason: We’re oversimplifying the solution and underestimating the saboteurs. “We’re learning that it’s not as simple as calories-in and calories-out,” says Dr. Pamela Wartian Smith, an Ann Arbor, Michigan, physician specializing in functional and nutritional medicine and author of Why You Can’t Lose Weight.

Research reveals that everything from food allergies to hormone imbalances and disruptions in gut bacteria can subtly undermine the best-laid weight management plans. Working out too much or eating too little can also backfire. Even a mean boss or a cold workplace cubicle can factor in.

Certainly, diet and exercise are key, experts emphasize. Yet, if we’re doing all the right things and still seeing disappointing numbers on the scale, there’s still more we can do. Here are some common weight-loss saboteurs and what to do about them:

Food Sensitivity/Allergy

Bite into a food we’re sensitive to and our body switches into “fight-or-flight” mode. It stores fat and water, releases histamines that widen blood vessels and inflame tissue, and cranks out stress hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine that make us want to eat more of that food.

“You literally get a high so that you crave more,” says Smith. She notes that unlike true allergies, which can prompt an immediate reaction, food intolerances often manifest subtly over several days. When we are repeatedly exposed to a food we’re sensitive to, we feel bloated and sluggish, regardless of the calorie count.

Allergy medications can also prompt weight gain, in part by boosting appetite. One study by Yale researchers found people that regularly ingested antihistamines like Zyrtec and Allegra were far more likely to be overweight than those not using them.

What to do: First, cut out the most-craved foods. “If someone tells me they just cannot live without cheese, I assume they are allergic to it,” says Smith. Or, try an elimination diet. Ban common allergens like milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and gluten (if you can stomach it, try sticking to only rice and lamb – two hypo-allerginc foods - for four days). Then reintroduce foods slowly and monitor the results. To combat seasonal allergies naturally, try vitamin C, quercetin and butterbur supplements.

Underperforming Thyroid

The thyroid serves as a key metabolism regulator, dictating how efficiently the heart beats and muscles contract, how quickly the body turns nutrients into energy, and how well we burn off stored fat. When thyroid hormone production falls, metabolism can also decrease by as much as 40 percent.

Yet as many as four in 13 women suffer from a thyroid hormone deficiency, says Toronto naturopathic doctor Natasha Turner, author of the new book The Hormone Boost. “You can diet and exercise until you are blue in the face, but if your thyroid is out of balance, you won’t achieve the body you’re looking for,” she says. “It’s a common cause of weight gain.”

What to do: Get tested for levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and, if possible, T4 (thyroxine) and T3 (triiodothyronine) also. TSH signals the thyroid to make more T4, the inactive form of thyroid hormone that is converted into T3, the form the body is able to use. Abnormal blood levels of any of these can impact metabolism adversely, and a TSH test alone may be unable to identify a problem, caution Smith and Turner.

In some cases, medication may be required. Otherwise, move to embrace lifestyle habits that reduce stress levels, because the stress hormone cortisol can inhibit thyroid function. Get eight hours of sleep; sleep deprivation also impairs thyroid function. Eat lots of fiber, which helps the body eliminate excess estrogen and other thyroid-damaging metabolic byproducts. Also, stock up on foods containing tyrosine (almonds and avocadoes), and selenium (Brazil nuts). In some cases, if an iodine-deficiency is at play, a doctor may suggest iodine supplements or iodine-rich foods like kelp and sea bass.

Imbalanced Gut

The trillions of microorganisms in our gut have a profound impact on our ability to maintain a healthy weight, says Dr. Raphael Kellman, a New York City physician practicing functional medicine and author of The Microbiome Diet. “The gut bacteria are the gatekeepers of the calories that enter our body,” he explains.

Research shows that certain species of bacteria aid in the metabolizing of carbohydrates, while others help break down fats and protein. Some turn on genes that fight infla